Addressing business community: Finance minister pitches Punjab as investment destination

Ayesha Ghaus says province has made headway in business reforms

LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha has asked local as well as foreign investors to explore options in the province, stressing that reforms undertaken put the region at a comparative advantage in terms of potential.

She added that the provincial government has managed to overcome the energy crisis, and managed an infrastructural upgrade in recent years, which should attract firms to invest.

Pasha said in addition, the province is in the process of undertaking tax reforms and streamlining departments to further improve its ranking in the global ease-of-doing-business index.

“We want local as well as foreign investors to come to Punjab and put their money in any sector they like,” she said, while addressing the business community. “We want sustainable growth where youth will get employment opportunities and the people in general benefit.”

“The main objective of the Punjab growth strategy, which was announced back in 2014-15 provincial budgets, was to involve the private sector, as no government can achieve higher growth rates and generate employment opportunities for its younger population.

“We try to systematically overcome the impediments in the way of investments, be it energy crisis, security concerns or the regulatory framework,” she said.

“Energy plants set up now produce around 5,000MW of electricity and have successfully reduced load-shedding hours.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2018.

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