July 11, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1428

KARACHI, July 10: Adviser to the prime minister on Finance Dr. Salman Shah on Tuesday asked Pakistani entrepreneurs to capitalise on investment opportunities with Chinese investors through joint ventures. Delivering a keynote address at a seminar on the forthcoming Pak-China investment conference to be organised by the Board of Investment next month, he said that China was one of the largest economies of the world and offered great opportunities as a giant overseas investor.

“We must understand China and we must go to China to interact with Chinese businessmen and also learn lessons from their experience, especially in marketing,” he added.

He said China was a role model for Pakistan and “we have to analyse how China became the largest economy of the world. It is because of consistency in policies, removal of red tapes and establishment of huge economic zones,” he pointed out.

The adviser said that China was setting up a huge economic zone in Lahore over an area of 3,500 acres. The forthcoming investment conference will be a turning point for economic development of Pakistan, attracting massive investment from China.

Chinese investors are eager to invest in Pakistan in a big way. The only thing they need is a good partner from Pakistani for joint ventures, he opined. Dr Salman noted that China would invest $800 million in Pakistan this year.

He pointed out that China was a huge market and the largest importer as well as exporter in the world and Pakistani businessmen must explore possibilities for exporting their goods to the Chinese market. In this regard, he said, a large mission from China is coming to Pakistan for the first time to purchase goods and services from here.

Dr Salman said that under the Free Trade Agreement both the countries had agreed to expand bilateral trade to $15 billion in next five years. This will be balanced trade, he observed.

He was of the opinion that if Pakistani businessmen failed to capture this opportunity, they will be the losers.

Referring to vast investment and trade opportunities existing between China, and Pakistan Salman Shah said that it had to be seen, which area crosses $15 billion mark first.

Referring to human resource potential he said that Pakistan had the fourth largest workforce in the world after India, China and USA.

FPCCI President Tanvir Ahmad invited Chinese investors to invest in energy sector as Pakistan was facing acute shortage of electricity.

He said that pharmaceutical, packaging and processing of fruits, infrastructure, telecom and agriculture sectors also had great potential for Chinese investment.

Director General BOI Arif Elahi said that Pakistan had great potential for investment.

—APP