Foreign investors urged to benefit from Pakistan’s improved business climate

Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said Pakistan offered huge opportunities to foreign investors and urged them to explore the country’s diverse sectors, particularly information technology.

Talking to a visiting delegation of Oxford Alumni, President Alvi said the foreign investors and companies could benefit from Pakistan’s improved business climate. The delegation led by Haseeb Ahmad, comprised the Oxford graduates from different geographical and business backgrounds.

The president said Pakistan was focused to improve its economy, and was making efforts to enhance exports and explore new markets for its products. He stated that Pakistan offered an investment-friendly climate and had improved its ease of doing business ranking in recent years.

The president informed the delegation that Pakistan had established the Special Investment Facilitation Council to facilitate and encourage foreign investment in Pakistan, and provide a one-window facility to the investors. He remarked that foreign investors should invest in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Special Technology Zones (STZs), and benefit from tax incentives offered by the government.

Highlighting Pakistan’s trained human resources, the president said that 3.5 million training sessions had been conducted since 2018 under the Prime Minister’s Digital Skills Training Programme ‘DigiSkills’ in the field of IT to equip youth and women with the latest IT skills. He said Pakistan was focused on increasing the number of quality and skilled graduates, particularly in IT, besides increasing the quantum of online education.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said that the social and economic mainstreaming of the persons with disabilities (PWDs) was inevitable for progress of the country. The president, in a meeting with a delegation of Chal Foundation headed by Chairman Feroz Ahmed, said the needs of the PWDs could be overcome by providing assistive technology and artificial limbs.

He also called for steps to ensure indigenous production of quality and affordable assistive technology and artificial limbs for facilitation of the PWDs. The president also emphasized practical and policy-level measures to make the PWDs productive citizens of the country.

He lauded the Chal Foundation''s role for welfare, rehabilitation and facilitation of the differently-abled-persons. The members of the delegation apprised the president of the steps taken by the Foundation for betterment of the PWDs including the provision of artificial limbs and assistive technology. Besides, the Foundation was also extending other facilities to the differently-abled-persons including rehabilitation, therapy and treatment, it was told. The delegation also apprised the president of different projects being undertaken by the Foundation as well as the needs of the PWDs.