The federal government has announced fresh measures to make doing business easier by simplifying business registration, reducing regulatory hurdles, and expanding support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan shared the government’s reform agenda during a meeting with a delegation from the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries (ICSTSI), where both sides discussed taxation, industrial infrastructure, exports, and the ease of doing business.

The minister said the government is working to streamline regulations, digitize business processes, and simplify registration procedures so entrepreneurs can start businesses more quickly and with lower compliance costs.

He also welcomed the State Bank of Pakistan’s revised SME definition, saying it will enable more businesses to qualify for bank financing and other government incentives.

Business representatives said many SMEs remain outside the formal economy because of complex registration procedures, repeated audits, and high compliance costs. In response, Jam Kamal said the government’s objective is to expand the tax base by encouraging voluntary documentation instead of placing additional pressure on existing taxpayers.

The delegation also proposed establishing dedicated SME industrial zones in Islamabad, developing a modern slaughterhouse for the halal meat industry, and launching a 100-acre industrial estate through a public-private partnership.

The commerce minister said organized industrial estates would improve productivity, product quality, environmental compliance, and employment, while better utilization of livestock by-products could create additional economic opportunities.

He encouraged the private sector to submit commercially viable investment proposals, saying public-private partnerships, industrial diversification, and technological modernization will remain central to the government’s strategy for boosting manufacturing, exports, and long-term economic growth.