350 delegates attended Investment Conference

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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**Way forward for PakistanWe dont need Dharna Drama by Canadian National Mulla or PTI.

Masses in Pakistan have already rejected their flopped show …
**

350 delegates to attend investment conference today

By The Newspaper’s Reporter
Published a day ago

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ISLAMABAD: A two-day international conference will begin here on Monday to highlight Pakistan’s investment regime and opportunities for investors in different sectors of economy.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference titled “Invest Pakistan: priority sectors and legal framework for investment in the country”.
The Board of Investment (BoI) is organising the conference to show the country’s strength as an excellent place to do business which is open to foreign investment.

BOI Chairman** Dr Miftah Ismail** told a press conference that the event would provide an opportunity to foreign and local businessmen and investors to interact with each other and explore joint ventures and investment opportunities in sectors like energy, oil and gas, privatisation, information technology and telecommunication, roads and infrastructure, agriculture and livestock, mining and minerals, financial sector and capital market.
He said that more than 350 participants, including 241 foreign delegates, had confirmed that they would attend the conference.

The highest number of participants is from China followed by Bahrain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

About 44 delegates would come from China, including 29 from Hong Kong, 30 from Bahrain, 18 from South Korea, 13 from Saudi Arabia, 12 from Russia, nine from New Zealand, eight from Turkey, five each from the US and United Arab Emirates and four each from the UK, Japan and Australia. Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Singapore are also sending delegates.

On the first day of conference, plenary sessions will be held on investment opportunities in power and oil and gas sectors, trade and investment and legal frameworks.

Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif will interact with foreign investors on issues related to the power sector. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will talk about investment opportunities in oil and gas sectors.

On the second day, a plenary session will be held on roads and infrastructure and technical groups will be formed on information technology and telecommunication, mining and minerals, agriculture and livestock, privatisation, special economic zones and financial and capital markets.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will preside over the concluding session on Tuesday. He will take foreign investors into confidence on the government’s economic and investment policies, which offer incentives to attract new capital inflows, including tax exemptions, reduced tariffs and infrastructure and investor facilitation services.

The BoI chairman said foreign delegates had not shown any reservation about security issues. The government expected that the conference would help build a soft image of the country and strengthen the trend of foreign investment, he added.

“The good news for the country is that the rule of law exists despite recent political turbulences. Democratic process continues and will continue which is essential for boosting investments,” he said.
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Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014*

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Re: 350 delegates attended Investment Conference

Pakistan invites foreign investors to explore opportunities

Senator Dar says sit-ins delay transactions, important visits of foreign dignitaries

  • October 28, 2014, 6:46

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Dar addressing investment conference
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ISLAMABAD** – Reiterating government’s firm commitment to cope with all challenges for putting the economy on growth path, Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Senator Ishaq Dar on Tuesday invited foreign investors to explore investment opportunities in various sectors as Pakistan was the choicest place for investment.

The minister was addressing the international investment conference organised by the Board of Investment with an aim to highlighting the investment regime and available opportunities for investment in various sectors of the economy.

More than 350 invitees including 241 foreigners from all over the world including Australia, Bahrain, China, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Neatherland, Newzealand, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK and US participated in the conference.

“Investors from across the globe are welcome to invest in Pakistan and the government would ensure level playing field,” he said. He said that Pakistan was focussed on improving investment climate through implementation of Investment Strategy 2013-17. Talking about economic policies, the minister said that the government has embarked upon an economic reform agenda that focuses on four Es including economy, energy, extremism and education-health.

He said that despite the challenges at domestic as well as external front, the government was committed to put the economy on the right track and ensure micro economic development in Pakistan. “We will put the economy on the path of sustainable growth, no matter what impediments,” the finance minister said. He said that the government would not tolerate any obstacle or hinderance in its will to reform the economy adding no one will be allowed to play with economy.

The minister said that long-marches and sit-ins have delayed some transactions and important visits of foreign dignitaries, however the government was determined to continue its journey towards progress. The minister said that the government was committed to bring micro economic stability in Pakistan and would ensure seven per cent growth rate by 2018.

The inflation would be contained in single digit, forex reserves will be boosted to $22 billion while the investment to GDP ratio would go upto 20 per cent and tax to GDP upto 14 per cent. The industry would grow at eight per cent, public debt would be reduced at 55 per cent and expenditures on education would go up 4 per cent. He said that the economy was in a shabby condition when his government came into power.

The growth rate was less than potential, inflation at an average of 12 per cent for the past five years, tax to GDP at eight per cent, fiscal deficit at 8.8 percent and the public debt at 63.9 per cent and above all there were international predictions that Pakistan would default by June 2014. He said that the energy sector was on the brink of collapse when the government inherited that and after coming into the power, the government cleared off the circular debt that helped to bring into system about 1700 megawatt electricity, reducing load-shedding and helping enhance industrial growth.

The government performed well as shown by various indicators as FBR revenues increased by 146 per cent in last fiscal year, home remittances went up from $13.93 billion to 15.83 billion, showing a growth of 13.7 per cent whereas inflation remains in single digit. The trade deficit also decrease whereas large sector manufacturing witnessed four per cent growth, agriculture credit went up from Rs.336 billion to Rs390 billion, forex reserves reached at $14 billion and overall GDP was recorded at four per cent and forex reserves reaching to $14 billion.

He said that the government has been successful in tapping international capital market after a gap of 7 years while it was in process of divestment of 7.5 per cent OGDCL shares costing $800 million and launch of Sukuk bond next month.

He said that the government has embarked upon an economic reform agenda that focuses on four Es including Economy, Energy, Extremism and Education-Health. The minister said that the smooth transition of power from one democratic government to another in 2013 was a historic development in Pakistan.

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Re: 350 delegates attended Investment Conference

Investment Conference: Investors keen to pour money into Pakistan

By APP
Published: October 29, 2014

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BOI chief says foreigners also interested in health and education. DESIGN: CREATIVE COMMON

****ISLAMABAD: **Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Dr Miftah Ismail on Tuesday said the foreign investors were keen to invest in various sectors including health, infrastructure, education, oil and gas, electricity and agriculture. **

“We were expecting that investors would be interested in only big projects, like infrastructure, oil and gas and power but they have shown interest in hospitals and education as well”, he said.

Miftah was addressing a joint press conference along with Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid after conclusion of a two-day International Investment Conference.

He said investors from New Zealand and UK wanted to make hospitals and universities and schools in the country while some delegates from Turkey and China showed interest in Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

He attributed the success of the Conference to a good team work of the federal cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
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“We were expecting that about 100 foreign delegates would participate in the conference but contrary to our expectations, over 240 foreign delegates participated which shows that they believe that political and security situation in Pakistan has improved and the atmosphere for doing business is becoming easy”,** he remarked.

The chairman highlighted the three factors which are important for business including rule of law, independent judiciary and political stability. He said Pakistan needed to improve its ease of doing business index and global competitiveness. “Here the BOI in collaboration with the Finance Ministry, the World Bank and IMF is working on changing rules so that investments become fast and easy,” he added.
“All foreign investors have come to Pakistan on their own expense and the government did not bear their expenses,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29[SUP]th[/SUP], 2014.