ISLAMABAD: A two-day international conference will begin here on Monday to highlight Pakistan’s investment regime and opportunities for investors in different sectors of economy.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference titled “Invest Pakistan: priority sectors and legal framework for investment in the country”.

The Board of Investment (BoI) is organising the conference to show the country’s strength as an excellent place to do business which is open to foreign investment.

BOI Chairman Dr Miftah Ismail told a press conference that the event would provide an opportunity to foreign and local businessmen and investors to interact with each other and explore joint ventures and investment opportunities in sectors like energy, oil and gas, privatisation, information technology and telecommunication, roads and infrastructure, agriculture and livestock, mining and minerals, financial sector and capital market.

He said that more than 350 participants, including 241 foreign delegates, had confirmed that they would attend the conference.

The highest number of participants is from China followed by Bahrain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

About 44 delegates would come from China, including 29 from Hong Kong, 30 from Bahrain, 18 from South Korea, 13 from Saudi Arabia, 12 from Russia, nine from New Zealand, eight from Turkey, five each from the US and United Arab Emirates and four each from the UK, Japan and Australia. Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Singapore are also sending delegates.

On the first day of conference, plenary sessions will be held on investment opportunities in power and oil and gas sectors, trade and investment and legal frameworks.

Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif will interact with foreign investors on issues related to the power sector. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will talk about investment opportunities in oil and gas sectors.

On the second day, a plenary session will be held on roads and infrastructure and technical groups will be formed on information technology and telecommunication, mining and minerals, agriculture and livestock, privatisation, special economic zones and financial and capital markets.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will preside over the concluding session on Tuesday. He will take foreign investors into confidence on the government’s economic and investment policies, which offer incentives to attract new capital inflows, including tax exemptions, reduced tariffs and infrastructure and investor facilitation services.

The BoI chairman said foreign delegates had not shown any reservation about security issues. The government expected that the conference would help build a soft image of the country and strengthen the trend of foreign investment, he added.

“The good news for the country is that the rule of law exists despite recent political turbulences. Democratic process continues and will continue which is essential for boosting investments,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014