Lufthansa eager to begin operations in Pakistan

German delegation will arrive next week to explore business opportunities

ISLAMABAD:

A delegation of German businessmen will visit Pakistan in the upcoming week to explore investment opportunities in the country, announced German Ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck.

In a meeting with Board of Investment (BOI) Secretary Fareena Mazhar on Wednesday, the envoy said that executives of Lufthansa airline would also be part of the delegation and they were keen to start operations in Pakistan.

He shared that the delegation would visit Karachi and Islamabad to interact with investors from the private sector as well as high-ranking government representatives.

During the meeting, the BOI secretary said that she was looking forward to hosting and facilitating the delegation in every possible way.

She added that high-level meetings with Siemens chief financial officer, aimed at discussing its future plans, would pave the way for the firm to expand its footprint in Pakistan.

Highlighting the opportunities available in Pakistan, Mazhar said that the government was prioritising regulatory reforms and paying keen attention to investor facilitation.

She apprised the ambassador of the 10-year tax exemption introduced in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the landmark one-window operation to be launched by the end of November 2021.

Referring to the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, she expressed satisfaction over the current data and hoped that the numbers would increase.

She added that a jump of 15-20 positions was expected in Pakistan’s ranking on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index in the next report.

The secretary said that Pakistan’s business climate was highly conducive and the government had introduced reforms to encourage foreign investment.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2021.

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