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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari will outline his country’s plan to expand social protection and promote green employment at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha this week, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.

The three-day summit from Nov. 4-6, organized under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly, brings together world leaders and policymakers to discuss strategies for advancing social development, promoting decent work, and strengthening inclusive safety nets.

Pakistan’s participation highlights its efforts to align domestic initiatives like the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), the country’s flagship cash-transfer initiative for low-income households, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the country seeks to integrate employment and climate considerations into its social protection agenda.

“The President will underscore Pakistan’s commitment to inclusive growth and social protection, with the Benazir Income Support Program at the center of efforts to reduce poverty and build resilience among vulnerable groups,” Radio Pakistan reported.

According to the broadcaster, Zardari will hold meetings with global and regional leaders, including the leadership of Qatar, as well as heads of multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and other international bodies.

During these discussions, he is expected to emphasize Pakistan’s readiness to pilot a Doha-aligned Social Protection and Jobs Compact (2026–28), aimed at expanding coverage to informal workers, persons with disabilities, and children while promoting decent and green employment.

The initiative aligns with the Doha Political Declaration and international commitments on social protection and financing for development.

Zardari will also highlight Pakistan’s intent to work with development partners to mobilize funding through mechanisms such as the SDG Stimulus, debt-for-social or climate swaps, and South–South cooperation under China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI).

Radio Pakistan said the president will reaffirm Pakistan’s resolve to translate the outcomes of the Doha Summit into concrete actions that strengthen social protection systems and support sustainable, inclusive economic growth.

KARACHI: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has called for the establishment of a dedicated steel ministry and the formulation of a national policy to address long-standing distortions in the country’s steel industry, which it says faces weak regulation, unfair tax exemptions and heavy import dependence.

The steel sector remains central to Pakistan’s manufacturing base, contributing significantly to exports and employment but struggling with fragmentation and policy neglect. Large Scale Manufacturing accounts for more than 69 percent of total manufacturing and 8.2 percent of GDP, yet per capita steel consumption is only 47 kilograms, far below regional averages. The industry depends heavily on imported scrap, faces chronic energy shortages and produces nearly 60 percent of its output below standard due to weak enforcement and regulatory oversight.

In light of these challenges, the Competition Commission of Pakistan on Sunday released a report titled “Competition Assessment Study of the Steel Sector in Pakistan,” identifying competition-related bottlenecks and recommending reforms to promote fair market conditions and long-term sustainability.

“The study underscores the absence of a national steel policy and recommends the establishment of a dedicated Steel Ministry, citing successful models from China and India,” the CCP said in the statement.

According to the report, Pakistan’s manufacturing sector contributes 71 percent of total exports and employs around 15 percent of the workforce. In FY24, local steel production reached 8.4 million metric tons (MT), including 4.9 million MT of long steel and 3.5 million MT of flat steel, while imports of steel scrap totaled 2.7 million MT, underscoring the sector’s reliance on imported raw material.

The report said Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), once a strategic national asset with a 1.1 million-ton annual capacity, has been non-operational since 2015 due to mounting losses and outdated technology, leaving liabilities of Rs400 billion ($1.4 billion). In contrast, countries such as China, India, and Russia advanced through targeted state support, investment in technology, and efficient resource management.

The CCP cited multiple institutional weaknesses, including an Ease of Doing Business Committee that lacks industry expertise and frequent changes in SROs that create policy uncertainty. It noted that tax exemptions in ex-FATA/PATA regions allow 1.5 million tons of untaxed steel to enter settled markets annually, resulting in revenue losses of about Rs40 billion ($144 million).

The commission proposed developing a comprehensive national steel policy, rationalizing taxes and ensuring stable regulatory frameworks. It also recommended expanding the Ease of Doing Business Committee to include industry experts and CCP representation, strengthening the Ministries of Industries and Commerce, and accelerating National Tariff Commission (NTC) processes.

The CCP urged enforcement of quality standards, formalization of undocumented producers, removal of tax distortions, and incentives for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology, green production methods and local iron ore mining.

“The CCP will continue working with all the stakeholders to develop pro-competition reforms to promote competition and long-term sustainability in the steel sector, much in line with the international best practices,” the statement added.