Unlike the past practice, the investments into the country have increased 2.5 percent in financial year 2014 while the Board of Investment has also established facilitation centres all across the country to promote investments and boost economic growth, Chairman Board of Investment Miftah Ismail said.
“The investment were on decline from the year 2008-2012 but in 2014 these increased by 2.5 percent,” the chairman of the board said while addressing a press conference. He said that Investments of $1,328 million were recorded till May 2014 compared to the Investments of $1,361 during May 2013.
The foreign direct investment during May 2014 was also recorded at $ 610 million while the foreign portfolio investment stood at $121 million, he said and expressed the hope that the FDI would further increase in next year.
He said the BoI has established facilitation centres in Islamabad and in the provincial capitals of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan where the businessmen intending to invest Rs 10,000,000 or less would be facilitated.
The main focus of these facilitation centres is to promote small and medium entrepreneurship all across the country that would generate job opportunities and ultimately help boost economic growth.
“The main objective is to set up their businesses on fast track basis,” he said adding the facilitation centres will assist investors in obtaining utility connections and government registration approvals at federal, provincial and district levels.