December 17, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 22, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Minister for Privatization and Investment, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Tuesday that the telecom sector offered new opportunities to foreign investors.

He stated this during a meeting with a US business delegation led by Richard A. Brecher, Director Global Business Relations of Motorola, USA, here on Tuesday.

The minister said that the telecom sector had been opened up and deregulated and new opportunities were emerging for the prospective investors with a firm commitment from the government to support and facilitate investment activity in the country in all sectors.

Mr Shaikh said there exits vast scope for Motorola, USA, to expand the present investment relations in a strategic manner through knowledge transfer, focusing extensive training on leading-edge solutions for Pakistani nationals, opportunities for higher local content for services required to implement communication solutions and to play a meaningful role in the growth and development of Pakistan’s telecom and information technology sectors.

Federal Minister for Telecom and IT, Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, informed the delegation that the government was in the process of extending remarkable incentives and allowing investors to establish software technology parks and internet cities and to enhance the professional capabilities of “our national talent in the related fields.”

The leader of the delegation said that Motorola was actively looking at private sector wireless business in Pakistan. The company was positive about the growth in the Pakistan market, which appeared to be at the threshold for making Pakistan an important partner in its venture, he said.

He said that Motorola, as one of the leading and pioneering firms for personal and business communications systems, had a diversified production and sourcing operation. There is significant potential for accelerating cooperation for Motorola’s future operation.

The company desired long-term partnership with Pakistan as it enjoyed strong relationship spans over a quarter of century, which would add value to invest in Pakistan’s human resources and to increase its investment and participation in Pakistan’s economy, he said.