Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Zubair Gilani, Chairman, Board of Investment said that government was focusing on better regulatory initiatives to promote business and investment. He said that loopholes in business laws and regulations would be abolished that would facilitate growth of business and investment activities in the country. He was addressing business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Qasim Raza, Additional Secretary, BoI was also present at the occasion.
Zubair Gilani said that government was interested to promote JVs in SEZs under CPEC. He said that government was determined to address the key issues of industries to boost industrialization. He said that enabling the country to stand on its own feed was the key priority of the current government and stressed that private sector should play role to revive the concept of Made in Pakistan. He said that value addition was key to improve the competitiveness of exports and stressed that private sector should focus on value addition of products. He said that ICCI should point out major hurdles in the way of investment and give its proposals for investment promotion that would be given due consideration.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) said that government should provide same incentives to existing industrial zones that were meant for SEZs. He said that ICCI should be fully taken on board for the establishment of ICT SEZ Z so that local investors could get better opportunities of JVs and investment. He stressed that government should provide level playing field to local and foreign investors in SEZs in CPEC that would facilitate better growth of local industry.
He said that foreign trade delegations during visit to Pakistan often visit ICCI and urged that Board of Investment should share investor guides and information brochure with Chamber on regular basis so that visiting foreign investors could be thoroughly briefed about potential investment opportunities in Pakistan. He said that government should formulate more conducive policies for promoting public-private partnerships in investment projects.
