Investment conference in City next month: minister

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal has said a decision to hold an international investment conference in the provincial metropolis next month has been made.

The investors, business community and diplomats from all over the world will participate in the international investment conference which would the open up new avenues of investment in the province, the minister said while chairing a meeting at Civil Secretariat on Thursday. He said that holding the international business conference in Lahore was a good omen and coordinated work would be needed by all the departments concerned in this regard. He said that the conference would be helpful to enhance investment in the province. He said that Punjab Pavilion would be set up in the business conference at Expo Centre and stalls of industries and affiliated institutions would also be established there. The minister said Punjab would become the hub of investment in Pakistan as local and foreign investment was coming to the province rapidly. He said that a large number of investors were investing in Punjab due to the investment-friendly policies of the provincial government. The government is providing all possible facilities to the investors under one roof, he added.

The additional chief secretary said that all the departments concerned would discharge their responsibilities for success of the conference.

The meeting was also attended by the Punjab Investment Board chief executive officer, Punjab Small Industries Corporation MD and other officers concerned. Chairing another meeting, Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal gave approval for launching a new project named “Cottage Development and Make in Pakistan” in the province. Under the project, cottage industry will be promoted through loans and training. The minister said that in the first phase, the project would be started in 10 cities of the province to promote Pakistani products. He said the government had decided to revive cottage industry. He constituted a committee to give proposals for the implementation of the project. The committee will comprise Punjab Investment Board CEO, PSIC MD and Tevta officials.

Later, a delegation of Turk company Albarak called on the minister at the Committee Room of Punjab Assembly. Albarak Country Head Bunjamin Karaca led the delegation.

Pak-Turk relations, trade cooperation and investment of Turk companies in Punjab were discussed during the meeting. The delegation expressed keen interest in enhancing investment in Punjab. The country head of the company said, “Our company has made the investment in transport, solid waste management and other sectors in Punjab and now we intend to make more investment. We also want to make investment in the construction sector.”

The minister said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed brotherly and trade relations. He said the bilateral relations could also be strengthened through better linkages among the chambers of industries of both countries. He said Turkish companies had made big investment in Punjab and we will welcome more investment from them.