LAHORE, April 27: Terming Pakistan a befitting model for investment, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali on Sunday urged foreign entrepreneurs to do business in this country which had a tremendous potential for investment.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a new television assembly plant at Manga Mandi.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Federal Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan, Federal Industries Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Ambassador of South Korea in Pakistan Chun Won, prominent industrialists and businessmen and the city elite were present on the occasion.

The prime minister said Pakistan offered a package of incentives such as congenial industrial environment, a disciplined and hardworking manpower and other requisites to foreign investors.

“My message is: You are all welcomed to invest in Pakistan,’” said the prime minister.

Prime Minister Jamali told the gathering that the government had taken numerous measures to facilitate their investment by opening one-window operations and also intend to rationalize various tariffs to ease the problems of the entrepreneurs.

He said given the strategic location of Pakistan, investment in this country offered the business community a unique opportunity to sell their merchandize in the Central Asian countries, Middle East, European Union and South East Asia as well.

Mr Jamali urged the entrepreneurs to come to Pakistan with an open mind and heart as the country stood at the gateway of west and east.

He mentioned that the government was developing infrastructure at a 740-kilometre long Gawadar coastline by constructing roads and other facilities to provide efficient transport means.

The prime minister said a team of economic experts, potential investors and businessmen led by Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz was sent to Gawadar to oversee the development taking place and point out any shortcomings and weaknesses.

Jamali said Pakistan was a vibrant nation of 140 million direly wanting to become a developed state.

The prime minister pointed out that in the early 1960s, Pakistan was a role model for South Korea but now it was the reverse as the East Asian country had now become an economic giant while Pakistan was still struggling to develop its industrial base.—APP