State Bank of Pakistan ki notification ke mutabiq, federal government ne foran asar ke saath 0.25% Export Development Surcharge (EDS) ko tamam exported goods se exempt kar diya hai. SBP ne bataya ke is faisle ke natijay mein uski pehle wali circulars ab withdraw ho chuki hain.
How & Who made the decision
Yeh decision Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ke chairmanship mein ek meeting ke doran liya gaya. Meeting mein private sector ke experts aur economic advisers shamil thay aur government ne EDS ke hawale se pehle se banaye gaye Working Group ki recommendations ko bhi madde nazar rakha.
What happens with the Export Development Fund (EDF) now
Prime Minister ne Musadaq Zulqarnain ki leadership mein ek dedicated Working Group bana rakha tha jo Export Development Fund (EDF) ka jaiza le raha tha. Reports ke mutabiq hukoomat ne EDF ki management ko exporters-led mechanism ya private-sector oversight ke zariye reform karne ka irada zahir kiya taake funds zyada focused aur efficient tareeqay se export promotion par kharch hon.Â
What exporters & banks must do now?
SBP ne banks (Authorized Dealers) ko direct kiya hai ke woh exporters ko is exemption ki information foran dein aur ensure karein ke EDS ab export proceeds se deduct na kiya jaye. Purani SBP circulars ko wazeh taur par cancel kar diya gaya hai, taake operational rollout tez aur seamless ho.
Why it matters for export industry?
EDS ke khatam hone se exporters ko turant cost relief milne ki ummeed hai. Ye 0.25% surcharge chhoti si fee thi, magar kishtoon mein mil kar industries khaaskar textiles, leather aur agribusiness ki competitiveness par farq daalti thi. Surcharge ke band hone se exporters ka cash flow behtar hoga aur global markets mein unki pricing thodi aur behtar ho sakti hai.
PM ne EDF par past paanch saalon ka third-party audit karwane ka hukm bhi diya, aur interim private-sector-led steering committee banane ka zikr hua hai taake EDF ke bacho hue paise (reported ~Rs50–52 billion) ka focused aur transparent istemal ensure ho. Is se yeh paigham milta hai ke surcharge wapis na aaye jab tak fund utilization reforms nazar na aayen.
Final Thoughts
Hukoomat ka maqsad exporters ka cost of doing business kam karna aur Pakistan ki export competitiveness barhana hai. SBP notification aur PM-led decisions se ek siasi aur operational signal bhi gaya hai: private sector ko policy reforms mein lead diya jayega aur EDF ko zyada targeted banaya jayega. Ab focus ye hoga ke yeh reforms tezi se implement hon taake exporters ko real, immediate faida nazar aaye.
