Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba expresses interest in investing in Pakistan

Alibab delegation says it would like to benefit from growing e-Commerce market in Pakistan

People walk at the headquarters of Alibaba in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, April 23, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on Friday expressed interest in investing in Pakistan’s booming e-commerce sector.

Alibaba delegation led by Max Bittner called on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.

While recognising efforts for the development of the e-commerce sector in the country, the members of the visiting delegation said they were happy to see great headway being made in the realm of digitisation [of economy] in Pakistan. The growing e-Commerce market in Pakistan presents opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies and the group would also like to benefit from it, the delegation added.

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Further, the delegation said they were impressed by the progress made by Pakistan in the field of IT, telecom and broadband penetration.


Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in a meeting with the delegation of Alibaba group in Islamabad on Friday. PHOTO: PID


Welcoming the group’s interest to invest in the country, Dar said that the expanding e-commerce sector could further facilitate the incumbent government’s aim of inclusive economic growth, promoting socio-economic development and providing livelihood for the marginalised segments of society, including women.

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Referring to a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma on the sidelines of World Economic Forum at Davos in January where Ma expressed his intention to establish an e-commerce platform in Pakistan and support small scale industries, the minister urged the Chinese e-commerce giant to invest in Pakistan’s digital trade industry.

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