LAHORE, Dec 22: Pakistan has become an investors-friendly country with fast growing industrial growth owing to viable policies of the government. Governor Khalid Maqbool said while addressing an inaugural ceremony of the second plant of a paints company on Multan Road here on Friday.

The governor said the local and foreign investment had increased manifold following deregulation, privatisation and rationalisation of tax structure by the government.

He said: “The government is making all-out efforts to ensure maximum facilities to industrialists such as enhanced supply of gas and electricity, improved road and rail network.”

New unit of the paints factory having totally indigenous machinery would be a good addition in paints industry, adding the country’s annual production capacity of paints had been increased from 100 million litres to 160 million litres during the last four years, he said.

Maqbool also appreciated the company’s contribution towards social sector, and said it should also fund research projects in the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and the Punjab University, so that graduates could enhance their knowledge and skills through experiences of industrial experts.

He urged investors and businessmen to also support pro-investment policies of the government when they criticised it at media forums or in their own community.

In his address of welcome, company’s chief executive Bashir Ahmad said a Rs250 million facility in Lahore had the production capacity of 14 million litres per annum, which could be expanded three times owing to availability of ample space.

The ISO certified company was the first to produce led-free paints and road marking thermal plastic paints in South East Asia, he said. It had also the distinction of having computerised equipment for the colour matching system, he said.—APP