National Logistic Day: Message from M. Jamil Ahmed Chairman PIFFA
As Chairman of the Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA), I am proud of the pivotal role our members play in streamlining trade operations, promoting compliance, and upholding international standards. The logistics sector is not just about transportation — it is about reliability, innovation, and resilience.
We are, for this purpose also actively engaged with the Government of Pakistan to resolve critical issues related to freight forwarding licenses and legislative frameworks. Our aim is to reduce costs and simplify processes, making it easier for our members to conduct their businesses e iciently, transparently, and in compliance with tax regulations—both nationally and internationally.
It is my unwavering mission to lead PIFFA and its training institute, towards continuous improvement, digital advancement, and stronger member support. With the grace of Allah (Insha'Allah), we will continue collaborating with all relevant authorities to create an enabling environment for our industry.
Let us take this day to recognize our challenges, celebrate our achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to building a more efficient, secure, and future-ready logistics landscape for Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
IBF hosts panel discussion: Aurangzeb underscores criticality of SMEs to Pakistan's economy
SEVILLE, (Spain): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, on Wednesday represented Pakistan in a high-level panel discussion titled 'Scaling up SME Finance' hosted at the International Business Forum, held on the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, said a press release. The discussion brought together global policymakers and financial leaders to exchange ideas on strengthening financing mechanisms for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are widely recognised as critical engines of inclusive economic growth. Addressing the session, Finance Minister Aurangzeb underscored the importance of SMEs to Pakistan's economy, noting that these enterprises account for approximately 40 percent of the country's GDP, 25 percent of exports, and nearly 78 percent of non-agricultural employment. Despite their significant contribution, he observed that SME access to formal finance remains disproportionately low, with a small percentage of private-sector lending currently directed towards them. The Finance Minister highlighted that the Government of Pakistan has adopted a whole-of-government approach to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of the SME sector. As part of its strategic vision, the government aims to raise SME financing to 17 percent of total private-sector credit by 2028. This target is designed to bring Pakistan more in line with comparable South Asian economies such as Bangladesh and India, and with global emerging market benchmarks. He said the Government of Pakistan is actively working through the central bank to encourage commercial banks to expand their SME lending portfolios. This expansion is expected to enhance the contribution of SMEs to GDP, exports, employment, youth and women's digital empowerment, and overall financial inclusion, laying the foundation for sustained and inclusive economic growth. To support this agenda, a multi-billion credit guarantee facility has been rolled out under the Prime Minister's Youth, Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme. The government has also committed to bearing up to 50 percent of potential credit losses on principal for small businesses. The Finance minister also highlighted the government's intention to revise and expand the National SME Policy 2021 to set a comprehensive five-year roadmap for sectoral development. Parallel efforts are underway to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) so it can extend market linkages, provide regulatory relief, enhance advisory services, and lead capacity-building initiatives. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
WB rates ‘Punjab Green Development Programme' as ‘moderately satisfactory'
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has rated the overall implementation progress of 'Punjab Green Development Programme' worth $200 million 'moderately satisfactory' which envisaged strengthening environmental governance and promoting green investments in the province. The bank in its Implementation Status and Results Report (ISR) also termed the progress towards achievement of project development objective moderately satisfactory. The project was approved in May 2018 with the development objective to strengthen environmental governance and promote green investments in Punjab. The original closing date of the project was 30 June 2023. Official documents revealed that the programme has been restructured for the third time and the revised closure date is November 30th, 2025. The original cost of the project was $200 million which was revised to $182.89 million, of which, $134.69 million i.e. 71.61 percent was disbursed so far. The targets set under the 'Promoting Green Investments' are yet to be achieved. New target is more realistic and is expected to be achieved before the new closing date, it added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Minister calls for groundbreaking of KIP on September 4
Islamabad: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting with officers from the Ministry of Industries and Production, Board of Investment and Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation to review the progress of the high-priority Karachi Industrial Park project. The CEO of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) briefed the Minister on the project's status, highlighting that the original master plan envisioned a phased development approach. The revised PC1 covers development of Block A which is 550 acres long. Furthermore, the Minister directed Industries section of Planning Ministry to evaluate the updated PC1 in the light of revised project scope and instructed stakeholders to prepare for groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for September 4. Rizwan Bhatti, CEO PIDC briefed the Minister that the master plan features industry clustering and was administratively approved on April 21. The project is slated for completion within 15 months. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 7.404 billion, to be financed over six quarters. Dr Erfa Iqbal, Additional Secretary of the Board of Investment mentioned that the project's provisional concept paper would be approved in the next board meeting. The Karachi Industrial Park will provide a plug and play environment to investors at minimal land costs, facilitated through a bankable lease or rental model. While discussing plot allotment, the Minister directed PIDC to establish standards for plot allocation to big and small industries, emphasizing the need for a detailed plan. The Minister stressed on the importance of the Industrial Park, calling it a one-stop facility committed to enhancing investor experience by providing utilities like water, electricity, telecommunication, as well as transportation networks and waste management systems. 'The centralized approach of Karachi Industrial Park will facilitate coordination with all relevant government agencies, reducing bureaucratic hurdles', remarked the Minister. The Federal Minister highlighted the importance of industrial parks in developed countries, stating that these parks should offer community life and facilities, combining "life, leisure, and work." The Federal Minister also advised stakeholders to draw inspiration from Singapore and Vietnam's industrial parks, which cater to all needs. The Arabian Sea Country Club, located adjacent to the right side of the Park, will be revived by PIDC and would serve as a prime entertainment facility, offering recreational facilities. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
