39th PSDE Conference concludes with a call to cut trade costs, ensure policy continuity and tap digital, maritime and creative economies as new export frontiers
ISLAMABAD, October 16, 2026 : Pakistan must fast-track structural reforms, cut trade-related costs and broaden its export base to achieve sustainable, export-led growth, speakers said at the close of the 39th International Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), hosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).Chief guest Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries, said the National Tariff Policy 2025–30 would rationalise some 7,500 tariff lines and cap customs duty at 15 per cent. Around 500 regulatory requirements are under review, SME financing is set to double from PKR 1 trillion to PKR 2 trillion, and procedures are being streamlined through the Trade Facilitation Board and Pakistan Single Window. He named ICT, artificial intelligence, agriculture, minerals and the blue economy as the key drivers of export diversification.
Presenting the key takeaways from the conference proceedings, Dr. Faheem Jehangir, Dean (Policy), PIDE, and Secretary, PSDE, pointed to a stark imbalance: Pakistan’s GDP has doubled over the past 15 years while exports have barely moved. He attributed this to protection-oriented incentives, policy discontinuity and political uncertainty, weak investor confidence and only a few strategic trade agreements, high logistics and border costs, and a narrow export base.The conference put forward six reform priorities: sustaining URAAN Pakistan beyond political cycles; tariff reform and strategic free trade agreements; rationalising logistics oversight and strengthening the Pakistan Single Window and Corridor Export Coordination Cells; safeguarding investors through adequate foreign exchange reserves, risk-hedging and simpler regulation; upgrading exporters through export-oriented investment and SME clusters; and building new growth engines in AI-enabled agriculture, ICT, the blue economy, tourism and creative industries. Better Single Window integration and corridor coordination alone could lower trade costs by 10–14 per cent, while some 5,000 new SMEs could add US$2.5 billion in exports.At the concluding panel, “How to Export More: Learning from Newly Industrialised Economies,” chaired by Prof. Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University; moderated by Mr. Tahir Habib Cheema, Chief (Admin & Finance), FBR; Syed Asad Ali Shah, Governance and Economic Reform Specialist; Dr. Babur Wasim, Senior Economist, Asian Development Bank, Mr. Shafiq Shehzad, DG Trade Policy, Ministry of Commerce and Dr. Madiha Riaz, Professor of Economics, PIDE underscored that policy continuity, public trust, trade-specific skills, reliable energy and predictable tax and customs regimes were key to sustained investment. Cheap labour and tax breaks alone, they cautioned, cannot secure long-term competitiveness. Technical sessions examined digital trade, port digitalisation, sustainable fisheries and Blue Bonds, and overseas labour mobility matched to verified international demand. Researchers linked tourism growth to strong institutions and the rule of law, and proposed a Music Export Council and a National Music Export Fund to boost creative exports.
Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, SECP Chairman delivered the Allama Iqbal Memorial Lecture, “Beyond the Mandi: Connecting Pakistan’s Farms to Finance, Markets and Exports,” chaired by Dr. Sardar Mohazzam, former Managing Director NEECA. Prof. Dr. David Daokui Li of Tsinghua University, Beijing, delivered the Mahbub ul Haq Memorial Lecture, “Three Key Lessons and Pragmatic Forms of Assistance from China,” chaired by Dr. Samuel Rizk, UNDP Resident Representative. This year’s conference received 204 extended abstracts, of which 24 papers, 10 of them by women, were selected after blind peer review. Of 78 PhD poster submissions, 31 were selected for presentation, with women accounting for 60 per cent of entries. The newly introduced PhD Symposium brought together 31 scholars, 19 of them women, who were mentored by Dr. Eatzaz Ahmed of Iqra University on research design and Ms. Tatiana Golea of Springer Nature on international publishing. PSDE also enrolled 541 new members through its new digital membership portal.Dr. Jamshed ur Rahman of Government College University, Lahore, won the Best Research Paper award (PKR 300,000), followed by Dr. Mohammad Ali of NESPAK, Islamabad (PKR 200,000) and Ms. Fatima Ejaz of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi (PKR 100,000). In the Best Research Poster category, Ms. Iffat Irshad, PhD scholar from Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi took first prize (PKR 150,000), and Mr. Muhammad Asif Ali, PhD scholar from University of Swabi received second prize (PKR 100,000).In his closing address, Dr. Nadeem Javaid (SI), Vice Chancellor PIDE and President PSDE, said export-led growth was vital to Pakistan’s economic stability, calling for a shift from managing scarcity to creating wealth through productivity and innovation.
He urged policymakers to translate the conference’s findings into practical policy and encouraged young scholars to pursue policy-relevant research. Thanking GIZ, the Asian Development Bank, the Higher Education Commission, Quaid-Azam University and international experts and the PIDE team for their support amid austerity constraints, he formally declared the conference closed.The conference comes at a timely juncture as Pakistan seeks to translate economic stability into sustained, export-led growth. The proposals emerging from its deliberations will be shared with policymakers and relevant development stakeholders to help shape an enabling environment for achieving the goal of US$100 billion in exports by 2035. Central to the conference’s success was the enthusiastic engagement of participants, who kept the halls packed throughout the two days, reflecting strong interest in shaping Pakistan’s economic future.
