Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday said liberal economic policies had created conducive opportunities and ambience for foreign investment in diverse sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
Talking to the British investors, business executives and industrialists at a meeting in London, the prime minister said there was immense potential as well as prospects for foreign investors in the country with 180 million population, which has growing needs in different fields. The business executives and investors who attended the meeting represented JCB, Bestway Holdings, International Health Partners, Conoco Philips Ltd, Habib Bank AG Zurich, Taylor Wessing LLP, HSBC Global Asset Management (UK) Ltd, Seventeen 74 Ltd, UBS, Shell, Frontier Power, UBS Wealth Management (UK), BNY Mellon Asset Servicing, Lloyd George Management, London Stock Exchange and Habib Bank (UK).
The PM, who is on an official visit to the United Kingdom, invited British investors and businessmen to invest in Pakistan.
“The banking sector is efficient and vibrant, the inflation and interest rate registered declining propensity while foreign remittances recorded 100 percent surge and exports hiked considerably,” he added. The prime minister assured the British investors and business executives that “we will go to our elastic limits” to facilitate them with regard to their investment in Pakistan. Pakistan went through some difficulties which were, however, managed well so there was no disincentive for foreign investment. Ashraf further said he had come across investors in Pakistan who appreciated the economic policies of the country and reposed confidence in the policies.
Philip Bourverat, JCB director sales said there was enough potential in Pakistan’s economy. He, however, urged improved ties with neighbouring India, which he added would help pave the way for British companies to provide technology and other facilities in Pakistan. International Health Partners President Anthony Dunnett said free medicines worth $75 million were delivered to Pakistan. “We are also negotiating with the EU and other countries to get more free medicines for Pakistan,” he said and appreciated transport of free medicines by PIA.
The prime minister said the government would support and would continue to assist provision of free medicines for the country. Zameer Chaudhary, chairman Bestway Holdings Ltd, reposed trust on the government and its economic vision and policies, which he said dished out dividends to the common man.
Welcoming the prime minister, the participants of the meeting lauded Ashraf’s visit to the UK, which they said would help them comprehend the policies and future planning of the country on economic fronts. The prime minister added the the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014 would help improve investment ambience in Pakistan and open up more opportunities for foreign businessmen for making investments.
