SEZ Policy & Governance Lead Expert - REMIT Programme

SEZ Policy & Governance Lead Expert - 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.

The current Special Economic Zones (SEZs) regime has delivered limited results due to structural and governance constraints, including high land and energy costs, complex approval processes, infrastructure gaps, and weak monitoring and coordination across federal and provincial authorities. Consequently, many zones remain under-colonised, investor grievances persist, and expected gains in industrial relocation, exports, and competitiveness have not materialised, while the fiscal cost of open-ended, profit-based incentives continues to rise.

In light of these outcomes, and under the Government of Pakistan’s IMF programme, a fundamental reorientation of SEZ policy is required. The IMF has mandated the formulation of an SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan to transition away from the existing incentive-led model. In response, REMIT is providing technical assistance across the Planning and Assessment phase, IMF negotiations, and pilot testing of the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan. As part of this effort, REMIT seeks to engage an SEZ Policy & Governance Lead Expert to provide the technical and policy expertise needed to design and deliver a credible, fiscally sustainable, and implementable transition framework.

Job Summary

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

The SEZ Policy & Governance Lead will lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of technical experts, providing strategic leadership and technical oversight to support the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in transitioning SEZs from profit-based fiscal incentives to calibrated cost- and performance-based incentive frameworks, while ensuring compliance with existing contractual obligations and safeguarding investor confidence.

The role will oversee zone- and enterprise-level financial, legal, and contractual diagnostics, full fiscal cost and calibration analyses, and the preparation of policy, legal, and institutional reform inputs required to operationalise the transition.

The Lead will also support and participate in technical engagements and consultations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including preparation of analytical inputs, briefs, and responses to IMF queries in support of programme discussions and approvals. The position requires close coordination with federal and provincial stakeholders, development partners, and the private sector to drive alignment with IMF structural benchmarks and national reform priorities.

Through strong policy advisory, governance leadership, and strategic communication, the SEZ Policy & Governance Lead will ensure that the Phase-Out Implementation Plan is evidence-based, credible, implementable, and capable of strengthening SEZ governance, fiscal sustainability, and Pakistan’s investment competitiveness over the medium to long term.

The expert will also provide technical quality assurance for the plan and present key findings and recommendations to senior government leadership, including the Prime Minister.

Duties and Responsibilities

The SEZ Policy & Governance Lead Expert will be responsible for providing strategic and technical support for the development of SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan. Key duties and responsibilities include:

·       Provide overall strategic and technical leadership for the development of the SEZ Phase-Out Implementation Plan, with a focus on Phase A (Planning and Assessment) in line with IMF structural benchmarks.

·       Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of experts, ensuring effective coordination, task sequencing, and timely delivery of high-quality analytical, legal, and policy outputs.

·       Guide and oversee comprehensive financial, legal, and contractual diagnostics at the zone, developer, and enterprise levels to assess existing obligations, fiscal exposures, and reform space.

·       Direct the conduct of a full fiscal cost analysis of SEZs, covering direct and indirect costs including incentives, land, infrastructure, utilities, and administrative expenditures.

·       Oversee calibration analysis at enterprise and developer levels to design fiscally sustainable, investor-credible cost- and performance-based incentive models to replace profit-based incentives.

·       Provide strategic guidance on SEZ governance frameworks, incentive regimes, and investment facilitation mechanisms, with a focus on improving colonisation, infrastructure readiness, and investor aftercare.

·       Benchmark Pakistan’s SEZ framework and proposed transition approach against international best practices and peer country experiences, ensuring competitiveness, credibility, and policy coherence.

·       Lead the preparation of key analytical and policy outputs, including the Concept Note, reform rationale, proposed legislative and regulatory amendments, KPIs, and monitoring principles.

·       Support and participate in technical engagements and consultations with the IMF, including preparation of analytical briefs, responses to IMF queries, and inputs for programme discussions and approvals.

·       Provide technical quality assurance across all deliverables, ensuring consistency with TOR objectives, IMF requirements, REMIT standards, and Government of Pakistan priorities.

·       Lead structured stakeholder engagement with federal and provincial governments, SEZ developers, enterprises, and development partners to build consensus and manage institutional sensitivities around the transition.

·       Oversee the design of a pilot SEZ to test cost-based incentive models, ensuring alignment with calibration outcomes, legal adjustments, and implementation readiness.

·       Deliver senior-level briefings and presentations to government leadership, including BoI, SIFC, and other relevant forums, clearly communicating reform options, risks, and recommendations.

·       Work closely with the REMIT Team Lead and Investment Climate Lead to ensure alignment, policy relevance, and effective institutional ownership of the SEZ transition process.

Qualifications and Experience

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

·       Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible professional experience in industrial policy, SEZ governance, investment policy reform, or the design and implementation of large-scale economic reform programmes.

·       Demonstrated experience leading and managing complex, multi-stakeholder assignments, including close engagement with federal and provincial governments, regulatory authorities, and development partners.

·       Proven track record in providing strategic policy direction, overseeing multidisciplinary technical teams, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality analytical, legal, and policy outputs.

·       Strong understanding of SEZ policy frameworks, incentive regimes, and investment facilitation mechanisms, particularly in emerging market contexts undergoing fiscal and structural reform.

·       Demonstrated expertise in SEZ diagnostics, including financial, legal, and contractual analysis at zone and enterprise levels, and familiarity with fiscal cost analysis and incentive calibration approaches.

·       Proven experience advising governments, international organisations, or donor-funded programmes on investment climate reforms, industrial competitiveness, or institutional strengthening initiatives.

·       Prior experience engaging with or supporting IMF-related reform programmes, including translating structural benchmarks and conditionalities into implementable policy and institutional reforms, is highly desirable.

·       Demonstrated capacity to structure and sequence policy, legal, and fiscal reform actions, clarifying institutional responsibilities and ensuring that proposed SEZ transition measures are practical, credible, and implementable.

·       Demonstrated experience participating in and technically supporting stakeholder and investor consultations, including synthesising feedback and ensuring its appropriate incorporation into final document.

·       Excellent stakeholder coordination, policy advisory, and strategic communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior government leadership and diverse technical counterparts.

Reporting line

·       The SEZ Policy & Governance Lead Expert 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