ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi said on Thursday foreign investors would be provided ‘one desk facility’ at the Board of Investment (BoI) to help resolve their problems at one place.

Under this facility, the officials of all relevant departments like Wapda, petroleum, water and power, etc., will be available at one place to provide facilities to the investors, the minister told newsmen here after a detailed meeting with BoI officers.

Mr Jatoi said it had been decided in the meeting that an investment officer would be deputed with foreign investors to help resolve their problems and remove the hurdles and bottlenecks in this respect.

Responding to a question, Liaquat Jatoi clarified that for this purpose there will be no recruitment of new employees, but the officials from BoI and the Ministry of Industries will be deputed.

The minister said he had decided to visit the BoI once a week and sit here to monitor the activities relating to investment facilitation and help remove the difficulties faced by the investors.

“We have decided in the meeting to work hard and bring the foreign investment to the target of $1bn per annum,” he added.

Mr Jatoi said he would visit Turkey very soon to offer investment opportunities and incentives to the investors there.

Earlier, during the briefing, the minister said investment and industrialization went together, more investment would create more jobs.

The minister said target sectors for investment were agriculture, including agri-business, livestock & dairy farming and fisheries; oil and gas, mining & IT & telecom including call centres, software, cell phone, e-commerce; SMEs including value added textiles & leather, engineering, electronics, sports & surgical goods, furniture, gemstone & jewellry and chemicals.

Investment in infrastructure will also remain a priority, including airports, highways, roads, bridges, urban mass transport, water supply & sanitation, he said, adding there is also potential for investment in tourism industry.

While briefing the minister, secretary, BoI, Shuja Shah, said the Board promoted, encouraged and facilitated domestic and foreign investment. It builds linkages among provinces, private investors, public institutions and overseas missions.—APP