K-P government vows to provide business conducive environment to Chinese investors

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said on Monday that provincial government was working on improving the overall business structure to create conducive environment for Chinese and other investors.

Addressing a delegation of Chinese and Pakistani investors, he said that his government was focused on attracting investment in sectors of renewable energy, information technology, small/medium hydel project, mining, tourism, agriculture, livestock and light manufacturing, according to a statement.

Mr Khan said that through development of Rashakai and other special economic zones, the provincial government would be able to create an appropriate environment where business to business and joint ventures would take place thereby increasing the prospects for investment in the province.

The statement said that a delegation of 45 investors from China met with their business counterparts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Chief Minister House to discuss avenues of mutual interest and investment.

The delegation of Chinese investors included representatives from aircraft manufacturing, housing technology, construction engineering, energy saving, environment protection technology, energy technology, poverty evaluation service, investment polling and high tech entrepreneurship.

The chief minister said that the history of KP and Silk Road went a long way when merchants from China and Central Asia used to come to Peshawar en-route to Rome. “The government is now taking measures to make the province an important trans-regional hub of trade activities again,” he added.

Mr Khan said that through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, KP was opening its doors for investors to the enormous natural resources and beautiful scenic sites of the province.

He said that implementation of Suki Kinari Hydel Project, Rashaki Special Economic Zone, Havelian-Thakot Highway, Swat Expressway, Peshawar-DI Khan Expressway and Havelian dry port as part of ML-1 project would bring prosperity to the province.

Mr Khan urged foreign and Pakistani business community to explore opportunities in KP. He said that government was improving the industrial as well as incentive policy to make them attractive for investors and encourage industrialisation for sustainable development of the province.

“For economic growth and development, the government is focusing on value addition in the existing mining and agriculture sectors to improve export to large markets like China and others,” he said.