30 January 2005	Sunday	19 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Jan 29: Chairman Senate Mohammadmian Soomro has said that the country's economy is improving rapidly and all the indicators are positive.

He was talking to reporters after inaugurating the international investment conference on call centres at a hotel here on Saturday.

The Chairman, Senate said the country faced a big challenge of unemployment and the call centres can play a big role towards tackling this very issue.

He said the conferences like the present one are effective as the catalyst.

Mohammadmian Soomro was of the view that there is a great deal of potential in Pakistan for the call centres and that is why the activities in this field are increasing and a number of delegates from abroad are also attending this conference.

He said the potential for the call centres is in the entire country and that such moots would also be organized in other cities as well.

Senate Chairman said the call centres can be set up all over the country and the infrastructure is improving almost everywhere.

He stated that efforts are being undertaken towards skill development.

Earlier, speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the conference at a local hotel on Saturday. Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro said that Pakistan with 150 million people, good per capita income and good consumers offers a substantive market for call centres.

The Senate Chairman pointed out that the government in the recent years has focused more on the factors that help make the atmosphere conducive for the investors.

He said that in each of such areas there has been a substantial improvement- whether it

is the infrastructure, cost of doing business or the judicial system.

Soomro stated that Pakistan was a country where the human capital is available and that the cost of doing business here was also very attractive.

He further pointed out that the human capital in Pakistan is tremendous.

The Senate Chairman said "we are rationalizing the tax rate as well as the process of tax collection."

The Senate Chairman was of the view that the call centre is one of the areas where we have a tremendous potential.

On the occasion, he also assured the delegates especially those from abroad the full support of the government.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Investment (BoI) Waseem Haqqie, said that the presence of corporate leaders, businessmen, investors and sector specialists is very encouraging.

He said that Pakistan's IT sector has grown rapidly in response to the increasing requirements of the domestic business, services institutions and global demand.-APP