‘CPEC attracting investment in infrastructure development’

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar on Friday said the ongoing projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are stimulating further investment in infrastructure developments in Pakistan.

The finance minister was speaking to a delegation of Chinese private equity investors, led by YauWai Ming, chairman of Hao Tian Group Holdings Limited and Cheng Yan, vice president of China Huarong International Holdings Ltd, Hong Kong.

Dar said due to the strong economic fundamentals achieved by Pakistan in the last three years, international investors are keenly interested in investment opportunities. Yan greatly appreciated the recent economic progress made by Pakistan.

She said the delegation is interested in identifying investment opportunities in Pakistan in the fields of infrastructure, finance, petroleum, and retail business. “We are preparing draft investment plans keeping in view the investment opportunities offered by Pakistan,” she added. Ming said the delegation, comprising of large asset managers from China, is interested in investment due to the macroeconomic stability and investment-facilitative regime in Pakistan.

The finance minister said the Pakistan Development Fund Ltd (PDF) will finance commercially viable infrastructure projects in Pakistan. He said the government had received interest from the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, China Development Bank and sovereign investment authorities for equity investment in the PDF.

Dar said the recently-upgraded ratings of Pakistan by Standard and Poor’s was an ample proof of the gains Pakistan had been making in the economic field over a short period of time. The minister offered all possible assistance of his team to assist the delegation in identifying best possible investment opportunities.