Fiscal Incentives & Financial Economist - REMIT Programme

SEZ Incentives Phase-Out & Transition Plan Fiscal Incentives & Financial Economist 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) regime has relied significantly on fiscal incentives to attract investment and promote industrial development. However, the effectiveness of the existing incentive framework in generating additional investment, industrial relocation, exports, employment and broader economic benefits requires systematic assessment. At the same time, the fiscal costs and long-term sustainability of open-ended, profit-based incentives need to be evaluated against their economic and developmental impact. As part of Pakistan’s commitments under the IMF programme, the Government of Pakistan is undertaking an SEZ Phase-Out and Transition Plan. The reform aims to progressively transition from existing profit-based incentives towards appropriately calibrated cost- and performance-based incentive mechanisms, while honouring existing contractual obligations, safeguarding investor confidence, and supporting Pakistan’s broader industrial and investment objectives. The transition requires an integrated assessment of both the fiscal costs and economic effectiveness of the existing SEZ incentive regime. It also requires robust economic and quantitative analysis to assess alternative incentive structures and their potential implications for government revenues, investment, industrial development, exports, employment and competitiveness. To support this work, REMIT seeks to engage a Fiscal Incentives & Financial Economist to provide specialised technical expertise covering fiscal analysis, economic assessment, quantitative modelling, incentive rationalisation and the development of evidence-based policy options for the SEZ transition. Job Summary The objective of the assignment is to provide integrated fiscal, economic and policy analysis to support the Government of Pakistan in the design and implementation of the SEZ Phase-Out and Transition Plan, with a particular focus on the Planning and Assessment phase of the reform programme. The Fiscal Incentives & Financial Economist will support the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), and the REMIT technical team in assessing the fiscal costs, economic effectiveness and sustainability of the existing SEZ incentive regime and in developing alternative cost- and performance-based incentive options. The Expert will undertake fiscal diagnostics and economic assessments at the zone and enterprise levels, analyse the relationship between incentives and SEZ performance, and develop economic and quantitative models to assess alternative transition scenarios. This will include analysis of investment, industrial output, employment, exports and other relevant economic indicators, alongside assessment of the fiscal implications of existing and proposed incentive structures. The Expert will translate analytical findings into practical and evidence-based policy options and will provide technical inputs for government and IMF discussions. The assignment will require close coordination with the Legal & Contractual Expert and other members of the team to ensure that fiscal and economic recommendations are consistent with contractual obligations, legal requirements and the broader SEZ transition framework. Duties and Responsibilities The Fiscal Incentives & Financial Economist will be responsible for leading the fiscal, economic and quantitative analysis required for the SEZ Phase-Out and Transition Plan. Key duties and responsibilities will include: · Conduct detailed fiscal diagnostics of the existing SEZ incentive regime, including corporate income tax exemptions, customs concessions and other relevant fiscal benefits available to zone developers and enterprises. · Undertake a comprehensive fiscal cost analysis of SEZs, including the direct and indirect fiscal implications of incentives and relevant public expenditures associated with land, infrastructure, utilities, administration and other forms of government support. · Assess the effectiveness and additionality of existing SEZ incentives, including the extent to which incentives have contributed to investment attraction, industrial development, exports, employment and other intended policy outcomes. · Analyse enterprise-, developer- and zone-level data to assess incentive uptake, utilisation patterns, fiscal exposure, investment performance and economic outcomes across different categories of SEZs and enterprises. · Develop appropriate economic and quantitative models to assess the fiscal and economic implications of the existing incentive regime and alternative transition scenarios. · Undertake scenario and sensitivity analysis for the transition from profit-based incentives towards cost- and performance-based incentive mechanisms, including assessment of potential implications for government revenues, investment behaviour, competitiveness and industrial development. · Assess the potential implications of proposed reforms for investment competitiveness, private sector development, industrial growth, exports and employment, and identify potential risks and trade-offs associated with alternative policy options. · Review available fiscal, financial, economic and sectoral data and identify key trends, evidence gaps and analytical limitations relevant to the SEZ transition. · Provide analytical support for IMF technical discussions, including preparation of fiscal and economic briefs, costing notes, analytical presentations, scenario results and responses to technical queries related to SEZ incentive rationalisation and transition. · Contribute to stakeholder consultations and technical discussions with BoI, SIFC, relevant federal and provincial government entities, development partners, SEZ developers, enterprises and private sector representatives. · Prepare high-quality fiscal and economic assessment reports, analytical briefs, policy notes, presentations and supporting documentation for senior government decision-makers, REMIT, FCDO and other relevant stakeholders. · Provide technical quality assurance for fiscal, economic and incentive-related analysis, ensuring methodological robustness, consistency across project deliverables and alignment with the objectives of the SEZ Phase-Out and Transition Plan.