January 27, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 07, 1428

DAVOS (Switzerland), Jan 26: Pakistan offers a level-playing field to foreign investors and a very conducive environment for the growth of their businesses in a country located at the crossroads of central, western and South Asia.

This was stated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz while talking to some of the leading business leaders, who called on him here in Davos, on the sidelines of World Economic Forum.

He said that Pakistan's booming economy, with a population of 160 million and a growing middle class, is attracting foreign businesses like never before.

The foreign direct investment over the first half of the current fiscal year has touched $3.5 billion mark.

Mr. Aziz assured the business leaders that Pakistan would continue its liberal economic policies and provide best possible protection and facilities to investors.

The prime minister informed them that the country had received very encouraging response from investors in EU, US, UK, China and Middle East.

He invited a group of business leaders and chief executives of investment companies to a luncheon meeting here.

Those who attended the meeting included bigwigs, such as heads of Bata Shoe Foundation, Gulf International Bank, Artoc Group for Investment and Development, Metro Cash and Carry International, Emirates Telecommunication Corporation, Citibank, Taib Bank, Gulf Investment Corporation, National Bank of Kuwait, Peremba Group of Companies, Pathfinder Group Dawood Centre, Hamza Alkholi Group, Xenel Saudi Company, Goldman Sachs International, Dallah Al Baraka Holding, Coca-Cola Company and Bahrain Petroleum Company.

On Wednesday he met David Ruenstein, CEO Carlyle Group, a private equity fund, who indicated that the company planned to set up a private equity fund in Pakistan as a part of their larger investment plan worth several billion dollars in Pakistan and Middle East.

Ruenstein said his firm, presently working from Dubai, wanted to open its own office in Pakistan. He said that his company had motivated key investors to invest in Pakistan.

Chairman Nestle also called on the prime minister and told him that his company would invest more in Pakistan taking advantage of investment friendly and liberal economic policies of Pakistan.

Peter Bradbeck Letmathe told the prime minister that Nestle had been increasing its investment in Pakistan and setting up a modern milk plant at a cost $70 million which will be operative within a couple of months.

The prime minister also held one to one meeting with Robert E Diamond Jr., President, Barclays, UK and Grant Kvalheim, C-President, Barclays Capital, USA. He also met Hans-Joachim Korber, Chairman and CEO, Metro and Thomas M Hubner, CEO, Metro Cash and Carry International. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman Renault, Patric Ceseau, Group CEO, Unilever Food Global also called on the prime minister and discussed issues related to their business prospects in Pakistan.