Govt offers tax benefits to attract domestic and foreign investors, says Shahbaz Gill

FAISALABAD: The government is making serious efforts to attract maximum local and foreign investment for expeditious colonisation of two well-planned industrial estates of Faisalabad.

It was said by Dr Shahbaz Gill, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication, during a meeting with a delegation of the business community headed by FCCI president Atif Munir Sheikh here on Sunday. Gill discussed with the delegation about the participation of PM Imran Khan in the Pakistan Economic Conference to be held in Faisalabad from March 18 to 20. Shahbaz Gill said that industrial estates would play a major role in materialising the PTI manifesto of creating maximum job opportunities in addition to the economic revival which was facing a steep decline due to the loot and plunder and ill-conceived policies of the previous governments. He said that these industrial estates would not only attract local but also foreign investors to establish hi-tech industrial units to get maximum profit from their investment. He also underlined the need for the relocation of Chinese industrial units under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said that the Prime Minister’s recent visit to China had completed spadework for the fast track colonisation of M3 and Allama Iqbal Industrial Estate.

He appreciated the idea of the Pakistan Economic Conference particularly in the current global economic situation and said that it was an in-time step in the right direction which would also help put the country on a road to progress and prosperity.

He admitted that the role of the private sector was imperative to achieve the ambitious economic goals and said that the PM was fully aware of the proactive and productive role of FCCI and was taking keen interest in the preparation of the economic event.

He said that PM Imran Khan had already directed the concerned ministries, divisions and departments to actively participate in the conference and hopefully the PM would also participate in the concluding session as the chief guest.

He said that the ministries were already in touch with the FCCI and the concerned stakeholders while the recommendations of the PEC would also help the government to formulate robust and proactive economic policies in this current domestic and global scenario.

Earlier, FCCI president Atif Munir Sheikh explained in details about the fundamental aims and objectives of the Pakistan Economic Conference along with comprehensive programmes made to cover the problems of different sectors of the economy.

He said that it was for the first time that such an economic event was being arranged at Faisalabad which would not only accelerate the local economic, industrial and commercial activities but also help the government to formulate pro-industry policies in consultation with the stakeholders to catalyse the economic and industrial activities.