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The Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh
said that Pakistan intends to hold Investment & Privatisation Conferences in
Japan to create awareness regarding the investment & privatisation
opportunities being extended by Pakistan and to reach the Japanese private
sector. The Minister stated this during a meeting with the Ambassador of Japan
to Pakistan Mr. Minoru SHIBUYA, who called on the Minister here today.
Dr. Hafeez Shaikh further stated that Pakistan provided attractive
Privatisation and Investment Programmes with remarkable incentives for the
local and the foreign investors. He added that the proposed series of overseas
investment conferences would provide an opportunity to the business groups and
the investors to identify their fields of interest and to boost the economic
ties. There was a need to accelerate the pace of trade, investment and
economic interaction between both the decades old friendly countries, he
added.
He said that we were marketing our Privatisation Program smoothly and
successfully due to the improvement in the investment climate at home and the
better image of the country at abroad. The process of privatisation was simple
and most transparent, the Minister stated.
So far privatisation of State owned assets worth Rs. 7.6 billion had been
undertaken, out of which above Rs. 5 billion were realized through the
divestment of shares of certain Public sector entities through the Stock
market during the past eight months while the privatisation of mega projects
like Pakistan StateOil, Habib Bank Limited, National Investment Trust,
Faisalabad Electric Supply Company and Wapda's Jamshoro Power generating Unit
were at an advanced stage, he informed.
We look forward to the Japanese investors groups to visit Pakistan and to
explore and identify the investment & privatisation opportunities and to take
advantage of the facilities being extended to the private sector, he said.
The Japanese Envoy Mr. Minoru SHIBUYA expressed that Japan was ready to
further and strengthen the economic relations and to promote the existing
relations. Support would be provided to hold the proposed Investment &
Privatisation conferences in Japan to bring more closer the people and the
private sector of both countries, he added.