February 28, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 26, 1423

ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: “One-Desk Facilitation Service” would start functioning at all the four international airports within next couple of weeks. The desk would facilitate and coordinate the visits of foreign investors in Pakistan.

The federal cabinet in its recent meeting has formally given go-ahead to the facility for tension-free, efficient and speedy implementation of investment projects and related activities soon after the arrival of foreign investors here.

The investor desks would be set up at Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar airports where an investment officer of the board of investment (BOI) would receive every large size prospective investor and assist them in completing all formalities of the investment project.

He will coordinate with departments concerned and act as trouble shooter and play a role of bridge between the investor and relevant ministries and organizations.

The BOI will have its office on all these airports. The relevant ministries and departments would also set up their separate facilitation wing or focal point, to be headed by an officer not below the level of a joint secretary or director general for resolving problems of investors on a priority basis.

All the utilities like water, gas, electricity and Central Board of Revenue would also set up their liaison desks in BOI to provide required service to the investor through the investment officer.

The investment officer would be required to sent his progress report directly to the chairman BOI, adviser to the prime minister on investment, ministry of industries and production and prime minister’s secretariat on matter relating to large capital investments and foreign direct investment.

Minister for Industries and Production Liaqat Ali Khan Jatoi told Dawn that the one-desk service would even provide immigration and visa services to the incoming investor so that investor got a better treatment and could start his project as soon as possible.

The minister said that the government believed that Pakistan had the attractive market, circumstances were favourable and hence wanted to cash this cheque by providing more facilities and incentives to the investors so that they did not feel that their projects were being delayed due to departmental problems.

He said that investment climate was seen according to the perceptions of the investors in terms of business opportunities and environment but working culture and attitude of support and service desired a lot more to be done.