March 5, 2002	Tuesday	Zilhaj 20, 1422

ISLAMABAD, March 4: A trade & industry delegation from Romania here on Monday stressed the need for establishment of close links between the business communities of their country and Pakistan in the areas of investment and trade.

The prospects of such collaboration were discussed during a meeting between the delegation, comprising eight businessmen and senior officials of Romanian ministry of industries and resources, and Board of Investment chairman Waseem Haqqie.

Secretary, BoI, Shuja Shah, highlighted the investment policy, incentives and other key features of Pakistan economy. He also explained the competitive investment packages offered by the government in manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.

The BoI chairman briefed the visitors about the export-based industries set up in the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), which are given liberal concessions, that is, duty-free import of plant and machinery and raw material for manufacturing of export product.

Besides, he stated, the government had designated some priority sectors having ample potential for investment including IT, agriculture, oil and gas and small and medium-scale enterprises.

The leader of Romanian delegation said that his country had offered liberal tax/customs concessions in the textile sector. Rumania, he added, is a major textile exporting country to the European Union, but Romanian industry has not been able to fully utilize the textile export quota for the EU.

The BoI, he suggested, should consider holding seminars in Romania for creating awareness among Romanian investors about the conducive investment climate of Pakistan.