ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has strongly recommended establishment of a dedicated steel ministry, citing successful models from China and India.
The CCP has released a report titled “Competition Assessment Study of the Steel Sector in Pakistan,” highlighting key competition-related challenges faced by the industry. The study underscores the absence of a national steel policy.
There is a need to strengthen measures to combat the smuggling and mis-declaration of reusable scrap as regular scrap while ensuring the proper application of taxes. This requires enhanced monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to identify and prevent mis-declaration to ensure compliance.
AGP audit highlights tax complexities regarding steel sector
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should implement automated tax filing, data integration, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve tax transparency and enforcement. Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce should mandate digital invoicing and steel production tracking using block chain technology to enhance supply chain transparency.
It is recommended to enhance market monitoring, identify areas where these units are operating, and implementing mechanisms to impose fines and penalties for producing ungraded steel and evading taxes. Relevant authorities should take notice of this situation, ensuring that these units comply with tax regulations and quality standards will not only promote fair competition but also boost economic growth through increased tax revenues, CCP recommended.
Pakistan’s manufacturing sector has remained a cornerstone of economic expansion, contributed 71 percent of total exports and employed about 15 percent of the workforce. Within this sector, the steel industry plays a vital role. The report explores it from a competition perspective. Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) dominates the sector, accounting for more than 69 percent of manufacturing and 8.2 percent of GDP.
In FY24, local steel production was 8.4 million MT, including 4.9 million MT of long steel (billets and ingots) and 3.5 million MT of flat steel (coil and plates). Steel scrap imports stood at 2.7 million MT, underscoring the industry’s reliance on imported raw material. Despite this, per capita steel consumption remains low at 47 kgs, reflecting limited industrial activity and slower infrastructure development.
Demand is driven by infrastructure development, urbanization, industrial growth, and major projects like CPEC, with construction and real estate as key consumers. On the supply side, the industry faces heavy import dependence, energy constraints, and limited local raw material availability.
Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), once a strategic asset with 1.1 million tons annual capacity, has been non-operational since 2015 due to financial losses and outdated technology, leaving liabilities of PKR 400 billion. By contrast, international peers like China, India, and Russia advanced through government support, innovation, and strategic investment.
Lessons from global players highlight the need for Pakistan to develop local coal and iron ore, modernize infrastructure, and adopt sustainable, energy-efficient technologies.
Regulatory and institutional inefficiencies exacerbate challenges. The Ease of Doing Business Committee lacks industry-specific expertise, while frequent changes in SROs create uncertainty for businesses. Substandard steel accounts for 50–60% of domestic production due to weak enforcement by the concerned authorities, disadvantaging compliant producers. Tax exemptions in ex-FATA/PATA distort competition, with 1.5 million tons of untaxed steel entering settled areas annually, causing PKR 40 billion in revenue losses.
The sector also suffers from market concentration, policy biases, and limited diversification into high-value-added products. High entry barriers, the dominance of undocumented units, and minimal R&D investment constrain competitiveness.
Import dependency on scrap further exposes the industry to global shocks, while weak compliance erodes consumer trust and compromises safety.
The report recommends a comprehensive framework:
Develop a national steel policy, rationalize taxes, ensure stable SROs, and support anti-dumping protections.
Expand CoEDB to include industry experts and CCP representation, strengthen Ministries of Industries and Commerce, and accelerate NTC processes.
Enforce quality standards, formalize undocumented units, and eliminate distortions from ex-FATA/PATA exemptions.
Encourage Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology, incentivize iron ore mining and value addition, and promote green technologies.
Additionally, 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 report is available on the CCP’s website.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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