Balochistan Cabinet Approves Ease of Doing Business Act and Draft Tourism Policy
Balochistan's cabinet approved the Ease of Doing Business Act, a draft Tourism Policy and a closed-factory revival plan on 9 October 2026. See what's missing.
Balochistan's cabinet approved the Ease of Doing Business Act 2026, a draft Tourism Policy and Cultural Policy, and a plan to reopen closed industrial units on 9 October 2026. These are cabinet approvals, not notified laws. No fee, deadline or one-window office has been announced.
A small trader in Quetta, Gwadar or Hub knows the real cost of "doing business": a trip to one office for a licence, another for a tax number, and a third for a NOC, which is a no-objection certificate. The Balochistan cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, approved a package on 9 October 2026 that says it will simplify this. Here is what was approved, what it could mean, and what is still empty.
The Ease of Doing Business Act 2026 was approved to simplify business processes
The cabinet approved the Balochistan Ease of Doing Business Act 2026. The government's stated aim is to simplify business processes. The text of the Act has not been published, so we cannot say which licences, approvals or fees it changes.
Laws of this type often create a single online point for permits, set time limits for officials to decide, and allow an appeal if a decision is late. Whether Balochistan's Act does any of this is unknown. We will not describe features it may not have.
A cabinet approval is a first step. The assembly must pass the bill and the Governor must sign it. A reader who wants to know how to tell an approved bill from a law that applies can use the guide on checking whether a decision is officially notified.
A policy to reopen closed factories offers financial support and incentives
The cabinet approved an industrial revival policy to reactivate closed and non-functional units. It offers financial support and incentives. The announcement named no budget, no list of units, and no rule for who qualifies.
That gap matters. A policy with no list can help the first company that asks, or the best connected one. An owner of a closed unit in Hub, Winder or Quetta should watch for a notified policy document with eligibility rules and an application form.
The cabinet also approved a higher cost estimate for mechanized cotton cultivation projects, and a policy on how the Mineral Development Fund may be used. Again, no amounts were published in the decision list.
A draft Tourism Policy and Cultural Policy aims to protect heritage
The cabinet approved the draft Balochistan Tourism Policy and Cultural Policy, meant to promote tourism and safeguard heritage. The word "draft" is important: it means the policy can still change before it is final.
The province has coastal, mountain and desert sites, and a visitor needs clear rules on permits, guides and security. The announcement did not say whether the policy sets any of these. A traveller today should not expect a new permit process.
For comparison, our guide to registering a foreign tourist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shows the kind of detail a working tourism rule contains: a form, documents and a time limit. The Balochistan policy has published none of these so far.
| Decision | Status on 11 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Ease of Doing Business Act 2026 | Cabinet approved, text not published |
| Industrial revival policy | Approved, no list or budget |
| Tourism Policy and Cultural Policy | Draft approved |
| Mineral Development Fund use | Policy endorsed, no amounts |
| Public Procurement Rules 2014 | Amendment approved for transparency |
What business owners in Balochistan can do now
- Keep your current licences and registrations valid. Nothing in the announcement cancels them.
- If you sell to the government, read the e-bidding rule for tenders above Rs 500,000, which affects procurement now.
- Check your company's yearly filing deadlines. The SECP annual return is a federal duty and no provincial Act replaces it.
- Owners of closed units should list their machinery, workers and unpaid dues now, so an application is ready when the policy opens.
- Ask your chamber of commerce to send you the notified text when it appears.
What to watch next
Look for the bill on the assembly agenda, a notified policy for closed units, and the final tourism policy. A real reform shows up as a time limit for officials and a place to apply. Until those appear, the package is an intention.
Common questions
What is the Balochistan Ease of Doing Business Act 2026?
It is a law the cabinet approved on 9 October 2026 to simplify business processes in Balochistan. Its text has not been published.
Is the Act already in force?
No. The assembly must pass it and the Governor must sign it before it applies.
Can I apply to reopen a closed factory now?
Not yet. The cabinet approved a policy with financial support and incentives, but no application form or eligibility rule has been published.
Is the Balochistan Tourism Policy final?
No. The cabinet approved a draft Tourism Policy and Cultural Policy, so it can still change.
Do I need a new licence under these decisions?
No. Nothing announced changes a licence you hold today.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 11 October 2026. The decisions above come from the Balochistan government's post-cabinet briefing of 9 October 2026, as released by the state news agency. We opened the Government of Balochistan website on 11 October 2026 and found no notification, bill text or policy document on its front page. Budgets, eligibility and the assembly date are not confirmed.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
