Senior Economist - REMIT Programme

Senior Economist - SEZs Phase-Out Implementation Plan  

Background

The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) Programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI), provides technical assistance to the Government of Pakistan to improve the business environment, attract investment, and support sustainable economic growth.

Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have not yet delivered their intended outcomes in terms of industrial relocation, export growth, and competitiveness. Structural constraints—such as weak infrastructure readiness, complex approval processes, unresolved investor grievances, and high operating costs—have limited colonisation and productivity. At the same time, the fiscal burden of profit-based incentives has increased without commensurate economic returns.

In line with commitments under Pakistan’s IMF programme, the Government of Pakistan is undertaking an SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan to transition from profit-based incentives toward a more sustainable framework anchored in cost- and performance-based facilitation and non-fiscal reforms. Robust economic analysis is central to this transition to ensure that proposed reforms are evidence-based, fiscally sound, and aligned with broader industrial and macroeconomic objectives. As part of this effort, REMIT seeks to engage a Senior Economist to provide analytical and policy support across the Planning and Assessment phase of the SEZ phase out Implementation plan.

Job Summary

The objective of the assignment is to provide technical expertise to support the Government of Pakistan in the economic analysis and policy design underpinning the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan, with a primary focus on Phase A (Planning and Assessment) of the IMF-mandated reform programme.

The Senior Economist will support the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) by leading and contributing to macroeconomic, sectoral, and microeconomic analyses related to SEZ performance, incentive effectiveness, and industrial competitiveness. The role will focus on assessing the economic impact of existing SEZ policies and proposed transition measures, and on translating analytical findings into actionable policy recommendations.

The Senior Economist will work closely with the SEZ Policy & Governance Lead, Fiscal & Incentives Expert, Legal & Contractual Expert, and Industrial Infrastructure Expert to ensure coherence between economic analysis, fiscal reform, legal feasibility, and implementation considerations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Economist will be responsible for providing analytical and policy support for the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan. Key duties and responsibilities include:

·       Conduct macroeconomic and sectoral analysis to assess the role of SEZs in industrial growth, exports, employment, and investment.

·       Analyse SEZ performance data, including colonisation rates, enterprise activity, and productivity indicators, to identify structural constraints and reform priorities.

·       Assess the economic effectiveness of existing SEZ incentive regimes, including their impact on investment decisions, competitiveness, and value for money.

·       Support the evaluation of cost- and performance-based incentive models from an economic efficiency and competitiveness perspective.

·       Contribute to the fiscal cost and calibration analysis by providing economic assumptions, behavioural parameters, and scenario inputs.

·       Assess approval, clearance, and investor facilitation processes from an economic efficiency and transaction-cost perspective, identifying bottlenecks affecting investment outcomes.

·       Provide analytical inputs to the Concept Note, including economic rationale, reform justification, KPIs, and monitoring indicators.

·       Support IMF-related technical discussions by preparing economic briefs, analytical notes, and responses to IMF queries on SEZ reform impacts.

·       Contribute to the design and assessment of a pilot SEZ, including economic viability, competitiveness implications, and expected investment response.

·       Participate in stakeholder consultations and technical workshops, presenting analytical findings and incorporating feedback into refined policy recommendations.

·       Provide technical quality assurance for economic analysis and policy outputs, ensuring consistency with TOR objectives and overall reform logic.

·       Work closely with the REMIT team to ensure alignment between economic analysis, policy recommendations, and implementation pathways.

Qualifications and Experience

·       Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, Applied Economics, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

·       Minimum 10 years of professional experience in economic analysis, policy advisory, or development economics, preferably in the context of industrial policy, investment policy, or public sector reform.

·       Demonstrated experience conducting macroeconomic, sectoral, and microeconomic analysis to inform policy design and reform prioritisation.

·       Proven expertise in assessing the economic impact of fiscal incentives, regulatory frameworks, and investment policies.

·       Strong ability to analyse approval, clearance, and facilitation processes from an economic efficiency and cost-effectiveness perspective.

·       Experience advising governments, international organisations, or donor-funded programmes on economic reform and policy design.

·       Familiarity with IMF-supported reform programmes and economic conditionalities is highly desirable.

·       Ability to translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable policy recommendations for senior policymakers.

·       Experience supporting stakeholder consultations and incorporating feedback into final analytical and policy outputs.

·       Strong analytical, quantitative, and policy drafting skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary technical teams.

Reporting line

·       The Senior Economist will work closely with REMIT team and will report to REMIT Team Lead and Investment Climate Lead. The assignment will require close engagement with key governments stakeholders along with presentation and review of deliverables by REMIT team, FCDO and other key stakeholders.

Closing Date: 18 March 2026