Pakistan invites Turkish businessmen to tap investment opportunities under CPEC

ISLAMABAD: Chaudhary Salik Hussain, Federal Minister for Board of Investment (BOI) and Special Initiatives, and BOI Secretary Fareena Mazhar met with Türkiye-Pakistan Business Council of DEK (Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye) at Istanbul on Wednesday.

President of the Türkiye-Pakistan Business Council, CengizOzdemir and representatives of various Turkish business groups received the minister and the BOI secretary. The minister interacted with the Turkish business groups and appreciated their keen interest and recommendations and proposals to deepen trade and economic linkages between the two brotherly countries. The meeting also discussed ways and means to achieve the target set by both the countries to take bilateral trade to USD 5 billion in the next three years.

The BOI secretary invited the businessmen to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan in multiple sectors, and apprised regarding Pakistan’s latest business reforms initiatives to improve the ease of doing business in Pakistan and accentuated that owing to Pakistan’s strategic location, the country provides access to three continents and 68 countries as it is being connected to the broader plan of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The minister and secretary BOI’s meeting with DE?K also provided a useful opportunity to follow-up on actions and decisions taken during the visit of the prime minister to Turkey from 31 May–2 June 2022. The minister BOI assured the participants of the government’s resolve and commitment to facilitate businesses and investors in Pakistan.

The Turkish business community was also informed regarding investment opportunities and incentives in the 22 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being established across Pakistan with a vision to transform Pakistan into a high-end commercial, technology and manufacturing hub.