Special Report: Two Years of Progress Under the SIFC — Key Advancements in Industry, Tourism, and Privatization
Over the past two years, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has played a vital role in driving Pakistan’s development. The country has made strategic advances in sectors including industry, tourism, transportation, and privatization, backed by strong public-private partnerships and foreign investments.
Industrial Growth and Strategic Partnerships
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Revolution in Cold Chain Logistics: The launch of NLC’s reefer service marks a major milestone, enabling the transportation of perishable goods through refrigerated containers, boosting Pakistan’s cold supply chain infrastructure.
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Semiconductor Industry Emergence: With the support of SIFC, Pakistan has initiated the foundation of a local semiconductor industry, integrating into the global value chain.
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Electric Vehicles (EV) Initiative: In a move toward sustainable transport, Pakistan has partnered with BYD and a leading conglomerate to introduce EV solutions across the country.
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Textile Industry Revival: A strategic policy to restore the textile sector is showing positive signs. Reduction in energy cross-subsidies and improvement in the LSM index signal healthy recovery.
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Boost in Industrial Exports: SIFC facilitated partnerships with the U.S. and Pakistan Elektron Limited (PEL) to scale up industrial exports.
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Activation of Major Projects: With swift approvals by SIFC, projects involving Yamaha, cement manufacturing, gas, and power plants have been activated.
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FDI Growth: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has grown at a rate of 41% annually, totaling $1.6 billion in key areas such as minerals, manufacturing, and energy.
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Special Economic Zones (SEZs): New SEZs are being developed to support exports and are expected to generate 500,000 new jobs by 2028.
Tourism Development and Global Exposure
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Themed Tourism Zones: SIFC has overseen the development of tourism hubs in Thandiani, Ganol, and Sindh, promoting eco and cultural tourism.
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Job Creation in Hospitality: Restoration of 44 guest houses in Gilgit-Baltistan has created over 4,000 employment opportunities.
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Tourism App Launch: A mobile application has been introduced, improving access to local guides and tourism services.
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Visa Reforms: Visa-on-arrival now available for citizens of 126 countries. Travelers from GCC states enjoy visa-free entry.
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International Recognition: Pakistan’s planned participation in the 2025 ITB Berlin event and other global tourism expos is helping build a stronger international image.
Privatization and Governance Reforms
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Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises: The government has fast-tracked the privatization of PIA and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), earning support from global institutions.
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Government-to-Government (G2G) Deals: Energy agreements and privatization decisions with friendly nations have been approved through the SIFC apex committee.
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DISCO Reforms: SIFC’s approvals have cleared the way for comprehensive reforms in the power distribution sector and revival of underperforming DISCOs.
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One-Window Approvals: An inter-ministerial working group has been formed to expedite DISCO privatization with transparency and efficiency.
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Transparent Transaction Advisory: The appointment of SIFC as a transaction advisor has ensured transparency and speed in the privatization process.
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Privatization of Non-Strategic Entities: The Prime Minister has committed to a clear, closely monitored policy to privatize non-strategic institutions.
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Cabinet Committee on DISCO Reforms: A high-level committee has been formed to implement global-standard concessions and restructuring for power distribution companies.