Government likely to impose excise duty
Amid a target of $400 million in refurbished mobile phone re-exports, the government is likely to impose a federal excise duty to address competitive constraints arising from the Pakistan China Free Trade Agreement under a proposed Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Framework.
The government also plans to set up a Rs56 billion technology investment fund to boost local manufacturing of mobile phones and other electronic devices.
The Engineering Development Board (EDB) has finalised the Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Framework, under which refurbished mobile re-exports are projected to generate $400 million annually. The Ministry of Industries and Production is now set to submit the framework to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval.
Sources told that the government plans to impose a 20 percent federal excise duty on the completely built unit (CBU) structure of new mobile phones. At present, there is zero federal excise duty on such imports. Under the proposed policy, the government also plans to impose a 10 percent customs duty on the CBU structure of notebooks, desktops and tablets. Customs duty of up to 10 percent will also be imposed on the completely knocked down (CKD) structure. Initially, a 5 percent duty will be levied, which will be increased to 10 percent at a later stage.
As part of the re-export of refurbished phones and laptops, the government plans to establish a dedicated refurbishment-for-re-export regime within export processing zones. Gated space of around one acre may be reserved to set up refurbishment facilities by investors. For mobile phones, 30 to 40 million units can be refurbished and exported annually, earning export revenue of $300 million to $400 million.
Under the first option, imports will be allowed under a temporary import for processing and re-export regime without foreign exchange remittance at the import stage.
$1billion financing wins two IFN awards
The Ministry of Finance on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of the IFN Deals of the Year Awards 2025, under which Pakistan’s $1 billion syndicated financing has received two major international honours, highlighting renewed access to Shariah-compliant funding amid challenging global conditions.
According to an official statement, Pakistan was awarded the IFN Pakistan Deal of the Year 2025 and the IFN Syndicated Finance Deal of the Year 2025 by Islamic Finance News (IFN), recognising the successful execution and structuring of the transaction in the global Islamic finance market.
International Monetary Fund review tied to governance
The implementation of the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic report and the National Fiscal Pact will top the agenda of the upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) review talks for the release of the next loan tranches worth $1.2 billion.
The global lender’s continued focus on areas that, until a few years ago, were dealt with by non-financial institutions underscores that it now attaches equal importance to areas considered the root causes of poor governance, tax evasion and the prevalence of corruption in Pakistan.
Progress on these plans will determine whether the IMF sends a technical assistance mission to Pakistan, which federal authorities have so far resisted.
Government sources told that on the opening day of discussions with the federal government, the IMF has scheduled meetings on critical but politically sensitive issues, including governance, corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.
Led by its Mission Chief for Pakistan, Iva Petrova, the IMF team will first land in Karachi on February 25, where it will hold exclusive discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan, before proceeding to Islamabad. Talks with the federal and provincial governments are scheduled to begin on March 2 and are likely to conclude on March 11.
Depressed rates hurt potato farmers
Potato farmers are feeling the primary impact of surplus produce due to depressed prices, and any support mechanism should prioritise direct assistance to growers rather than artificial price interventions that may distort the market, said Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan.
He observed that sustainable solutions must be market-aligned and fiscally responsible. The minister chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation arising from surplus potato production in the country and to devise a coordinated strategy for enhancing exports while protecting the interests of farmers. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the federal government and the government of Punjab.
Freelancers earn $557million 1hfy26
Pakistani freelancers earned $557 million in foreign exchange during the first half of the current financial year 2025-26, underscoring their growing role in strengthening the country’s services exports and external accounts, according to official data released on Monday.
Figures issued by the State Bank of Pakistan show that export receipts from computer and information services provided by freelancers rose sharply during July to December 2026, compared with $352 million earned in the same period of the previous financial year. The increase represents a 58 percent year-on-year growth.
The data reflects expanding global demand for Pakistan’s freelance workforce across areas such as software development, digital marketing, graphic design, content creation and e-commerce. Officials say both public and private sector initiatives aimed at facilitation and training have contributed to a more supportive environment for freelancers and the wider gig economy.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government was implementing multiple measures to enhance the contribution of freelancers to the economy. She said efforts were under way to improve digital infrastructure, expand affordable broadband access, simplify digital payment mechanisms and introduce targeted capacity-building programs.