Staff Reporter
Karachi
The foreign investors operating in Pakistan have showed satisfaction over security environment especially after quick response of law enforcement agency against failed terror attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
“The smooth and professional handling of the brazen attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange on June 29, and restoring order within a very short time, is a testimony of the OICCI members’ confidence in the ability of the LEAs to professionally combat any threat to life and property in the country, said Haroon Rashid, President Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) while commenting on latest findings of security survey, OICCI is the largest chamber in terms of economic contribution and representing top 200 foreign investors in Pakistan, has released the results of its latest Annual Security survey 2020, covering feedback on the security environment from July 2019 to June 2020.
Overall, the foreign investors have shown high level of satisfaction on the fast improving security environment and have also appreciated the performance of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the main business centers of Pakistan, Karachi and Lahore, raising the security satisfaction profile of the two cities and bringing them at par with other megacities in the region.
The OICCI President said: “Foreign investors are not deterred by isolated incidences and continue to take a holistic view of the operating environment, which, OICCI members perceive to be highly positive showing continuous improvement.”
The survey respondents included CEOs and senior management of member organizations, and was participated by 70 per cent of the OICCI’s 200 members, who belong to 35 countries and operate in 14 key sectors of the economy in Pakistan.
It may be noted that over two third of the OICCI members have their head offices in Karachi with operations all over country.
The survey was conducted from May 15th till June 22nd. OICCI 2020 Security Survey indicates that the foreign investors, overall, are impressed with further improvement in the security environment over the past twelve months, since July 2019, especially in Karachi and Lahore, with noticeable improvement in other business centers as well.
While giving assessment of the overall security situation, 60 percent of the respondents have reported improved security environment for own and Customer’s Business, as well as for their respective suppliers and employees. Irfan Siddiqui, OICCI Vice President pointed out: “this improvement is over and above the already improved security environment last year, and the continuous improvement recorded in the OICCI members annual security surveys since 2015.”
