Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to accelerate the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act 2025, saying improving the investment climate remained one of the government’s top priorities.

Chairing a review meeting on ease of doing business, the prime minister ordered third-party validation by international organisations to independently assess the effectiveness of the government’s reforms. He also directed officials to submit a comprehensive implementation report at the earliest.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan must fully utilise its vast potential to attract both domestic and foreign investment through faster regulatory reforms and improved governance.

He appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Board of Investment, the ministries of Commerce and Industries, and other institutions involved in drafting and implementing business-friendly policies.

The meeting was informed that 558 reforms had been completed to simplify regulations, reduce paperwork and streamline approval procedures for businesses. Of these, 71 measures have already been implemented, while work on 272 reforms is progressing rapidly. The remaining reforms will be introduced in phases across different sectors.

Officials said the reforms were expected to save businesses an estimated Rs468.7 billion by lowering regulatory compliance costs.

The meeting was further informed that eliminating unnecessary regulations would help increase exports, attract higher foreign direct investment and generate new employment opportunities.

The prime minister directed that implementation of ease of doing business reforms and the jobs created through them should become key performance indicators for evaluating officials of relevant institutions.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers, senior government officials, the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, chief secretaries of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while internationally recognised experts participated via video link.