Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have expanded from seven in 2019 to 44 by 2025, following the notification of 37 new zones through coordinated efforts led by the Board of Investment, officials told Federal Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh during a briefing in Islamabad. The update was shared during the minister’s visit to the Project Management Unit of the CPEC Industrial Cooperation Development Project (PMU CPEC–ICDP), where officials reviewed progress on industrial cooperation and SEZ development under Phase-II of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Officials said PMU CPEC–ICDP serves as the implementation arm of the BOI for industrial cooperation under CPEC, with BOI acting as Pakistan’s lead agency for the Joint Working Group on Industrial Cooperation alongside China’s National Development and Reform Commission. Since its establishment in 2019, the unit has supported the expansion of the SEZ framework and investor facilitation.
The briefing highlighted progress on the Karachi Industrial Park, development initiatives for a Gilgit-Baltistan SEZ, and approval of a land lease policy for BQIP, aimed at addressing structural issues faced by investors. The minister was also informed of BOI’s role in facilitating utility provision to SEZs to help move projects from planning to operational stages.
Officials said Pakistan–China business-to-business engagement remains central to Phase-II, citing the B2B Investment Conference held during the prime minister’s visit to China in September 2025, which led to the signing of more than 160 memoranda of understanding and joint ventures. A follow-up mechanism is in place to convert commitments into investment activity, they added.
The long-term plan for CPEC industrial cooperation has been finalised and is being implemented through an action plan aligned with the transition to CPEC 2.0, focusing on export-oriented manufacturing, technology transfer and value addition, with SEZs positioned as anchor platforms.
The minister was also briefed on planned initiatives in 2026 to mark 75 years of Pakistan–China diplomatic relations, aimed at deepening industrial cooperation. He emphasised continuity and institutional capacity as key to sustaining momentum under CPEC Phase-II and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investor facilitation and policy coordination.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched the Women Entrepreneurship Finance (WE-FI) Code to promote women-led businesses and enhance their access to finance, as part of its Strategic Plan 2028. Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah highlighted that while access to financial services has improved, structural barriers continue to restrict women entrepreneurs from obtaining formal credit. The WE-Finance Code, adopted on July 7, 2025, provides an actionable framework to dismantle these financial barriers.
SBP has mobilized a coalition of 23 financial institutions—including conventional, Islamic, and microfinance banks—alongside the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) to implement the Code. To kick off the initiative, a two-day consultative workshop was held in Islamabad in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), bringing together signatory banks, regulators, and development partners to formulate a national action plan. The workshop focused on strategies for gender-intelligent product innovation, improved data collection and reporting, and strengthened credit appraisal mechanisms tailored to women-led enterprises.
The Industry Consultative Workshop allowed signatory banks and partner institutions to assess gaps in women’s access to finance and develop a forward-looking action plan under the WE-Finance Code. Discussions included market segmentation for women, women-focused portfolio strategies, lending products for women-led MSMEs, data and reporting frameworks, and reinforcing institutional commitment through the WE-Finance Code Charter.
Prior to the workshop, a delegation of senior SBP and ADB officials conducted a roadshow on the WE-FI Code for key stakeholders beyond the financial sector. Strategic dialogues were held with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), focusing on policy coordination, interagency collaboration, and expanding the national coalition supporting the WE-Finance Code.
Through these coordinated efforts, SBP aims to guide Pakistan’s financial sector toward meaningful inclusion, ensuring that the WE-Finance Code translates into increased access to finance, enhanced entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic progress for women across the nation.
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