LAHORE(Hafiz Naeem) Pak Traders Forum, the trade and industry wing affiliated with Markazi Muslim League, has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif containing key economic recommendations for the Federal Budget 2026-27.
In the letter, Pak Traders Forum President Muhammad Ashfaq Sandhu stated that Pakistan’s current financial structure is based on an interest-driven system, which has increased difficulties for the business community and hindered sustainable economic growth.
The forum recommended the complete elimination of the interest-based financial system and called for the promotion of a profit-and-loss-sharing model to establish a more sustainable economic framework.
The memorandum also identified the petroleum levy as a major contributor to inflation and rising production costs, urging the government to abolish the levy immediately to provide relief to businesses and consumers.
Additional recommendations included controlling unnecessary imports, expanding the tax net, protecting local industries and promoting the full documentation of the economy.
According to trader representatives, Pakistan’s economic challenges require comprehensive structural reforms rather than temporary measures. They emphasized that the Federal Budget 2026-27 should serve as a practical economic roadmap aimed at long-term growth, stability and business development.
