December 17, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 12, 1423

KARACHI, Dec 16: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization and Investment, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Monday that highly qualified and experienced professionals would be inducted in Board of Investment to explore new venues and accelerate the investment activities in the country.

BoI has great potential to enhance investment activities and keeping in view its vital role, it would be assigned to coordinate between various government departments and agencies involved in investment. The BoI would also coordinate between the private sector and the government agencies to remove bottlenecks and resolve issues faced by the private sector, Dr. Hafeez said while talking to a group of newsmen after presiding over a meeting of BOI in Karachi.

“We are holding meetings to discuss and identify the issues and areas of priority. Several proposals are being developed for promotion of investment activities,” he added.

To a query, he said the privatization programme of the government will continue and special efforts would be made to accelerate the process. “We have to be precise and specific in implementation of privatization programme and move ahead step by step,” Dr. Hafeez said adding that a strategy is to be finalized in this respect.

Earlier, reviewing the performance of BOI Sindh-Balochistan office at the meeting, Dr Hafeez proposed creation of a separate BOI‘s coordination office in Balochistan to boost investment activities and resolve issues of the investors there.

He also stressed on close coordination among BOI and Provincial Committees on Investment. The meeting also discussed a proposal for organizing inter-provincial investment conferences to seek new ideas on attracting local as well as foreign investment.

Director General BOI Arif Ellahi briefed the adviser on activities of the board and stated that BOI currently is dealing with issues concerning corporate agriculture farming, cotton ginning factories, supply of gas to Windher Industrial estate, district Lasbella, shrimp farming, fruit processing plant, coal mining, establishment of two model industrial estates in Balochistan.

As regards Sindh, the adviser was told that BOI is working on the issues like silos and grain handling facilities project at port Qasim, shipping rates, Thar coal, national housing policy, marketing of privatized projects, shrimp farming, corporate farming, etc.—PPI