ISLAMABAD: With an objective to attract more foreign direct investment in the country, the Finance Minster Ishaq Dar held detailed discussions with leading British business groups in London.
“Finance Minister briefed the high level delegations of Bloomberg Investment Group and Chief of Staff and Head of Business Development, London Stock Exchange Group about the positive economic indications achieved by the government in result of policies followed by the Finance Ministry” a well placed source at Finance Ministry informed.
Bloomberg Group was founded in 1926 and is based in Winnipeg, Canada. Investors Group Inc. operates as a subsidiary of IGM Financial and offers personal financial planning, retirement savings plans, retirement income funds, deferred profit sharing plans, life and disability insurance, banking, brokerage, investment certificates, and mortgages.
Both the delegations appreciated policies and reforms agenda being followed by the government and discussed matters pertaining to investment opportunities in Pakistan and delegation hinted on increasing volume of investment in Pakistan.
Finance Minster highlighted investment friendly environment created by the government by pursuing policies to attract more foreign direct investment in different sectors in Pakistan.
It is pertinent to note here that Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world.
Source said that Chief of Staff and Head of Business Development, London Stock Exchange Group, Nikhil Rathi also called on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and exchanged views about matters related to future prospects of investment in Pakistan.
He also pinpointed need for increasing the number of interactions between private sector entrepreneurs and business houses of Pakistan and Britain to explore new horizons of mutual cooperation in trade, investment and commerce sectors.
Dar highlighted the improved stable outlook in the country’s ratings ever since the Euro Bond and said that Pakistan was moving forward. He also shared his government’s vision of the road-map for continued economic prosperity and efforts to overcome the challenges to economy.
Minister Dar explained that Government’s reforms agenda was based on 4Es, i.e. economy, energy, extremism and education/health (social sector). Ever since the current government came into power under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the above-mentioned four sectors were being addressed on priority, he added.
As a result, the Minister said, the growth rate was improving, the inflation was coming down, capital market was performing better and the currency gained stability. The Minister stated that government would end the energy shortage before the completion of its tenure.
He paid glowing tribute to the armed forces of the country that were successfully fighting terrorism and extremism in the country, and hoped that Pakistan would soon get rid of this menace. He reiterated government’s commitment to increase education budget from 2 percent to 4 percent in next two years.
Senator Dar shared that Pakistan was planning new global bond and Sukuk issues in 2015-2016 and was ready for 7th IMF review, which never had happened before. He also expressed that the Government was fully committed to asset sale programme.
Dar mentioned about the positive sentiments he came across during his ongoing interactions with the International Financial Institutions. Investors showed keen interest in the economic performance of the country, informed the Minister.
The Finance Minister appreciated the role of diaspora and said that they were helping Pakistan economy a great deal through their valuable remittances. He thanked Pakistan High Commission for arranging his interaction with the community and the investors in London.
The Minister also interacted with British as well as Pakistani media in London. After the interaction, the Minister left for the USA to participate in the World Bank and IMF’s spring meetings.
