PM calls for modernisation of business regulatory systems

• Orders establishment of regulatory registry to consolidate all rules; seeks nationwide implementation of Easy Business Act • Sets March 2027 deadline for eBiz Punjab integration with Islamabad business facilitation centre ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered the modernisation of the country's regulatory authorities as part of efforts to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and create a more transparent and business-friendly environment to attract domestic and foreign investment. Presiding over a high-level meeting to review ongoing economic reforms, the prime minister dir­e­cted officials to establish a comprehensive regulatory registry to consolidate all existing requirements, rules and regulations under a single framework. At the meeting, officials said the Cabinet Comm­i­ttee on Regulatory Refo­rms okayed 557 reforms across seven multi-sector areas with expected Rs460 billion savings ann­ually. The prime minister also called for nationwide implementation of the Easy Business Act to harmonise regulatory systems across provinces and ensure uniform facilities for businesses. He ordered that regulatory reforms undertaken by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) be effectively publicised so the business community is aware of available facilities and can benefit from them. He directed an SIFC delegation led by Haroon Akhtar Khan, adviser to the PM on industries, to visit all provinces and take provincial governments into confidence on the reform process to promote business facilitation. The PM instructed the SIFC and Punjab chief secretary to complete the integration of the eBiz Punjab system with Islamabad business facilitation centre by March 2027. Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026