PAKISTAN needs foreign investment, no matter from where it comes, for maintaining and sustaining pace of economic growth and for continuation of accelerated developmental activities in different parts of the country.

It is indeed quite good to note that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has recorded a 2.4 per cent increase in 10 months of the ongoing financial year touching appreciable figure of 2.237 billion dollars.

The rise has come in the wake of energy and construction projects.

According to the reports in the media quoting the country’s central bank data, the inflow from China alone rose to 1.414 billion dollars mainly through Chinese companies working on different China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects across the country.

Beijing is investing heavily in power sector and investment of 749.9 million dollars in this sector for the first ten months of fiscal year 2017-18 from 514.5 million dollars in the corresponding period of last year. Other sectors including construction, telecommunications, oil and gas exploration and financial business also received DFI in varying figures.

In all fairness, Pakistan has been expecting to receive huge and quite encouraging response from the international investors of countries across the globe following restoration of peace but somewhat unpleasant political situation created problems in this regard. However, the situation is considerably improving and peace and stability all over the country and more importantly in the tribal areas has certainly improved the country’s image internationally and the gradual increase in Foreign Direct Investment is an indication to foreigners’ confidence in conducive environment which now prevails in Pakistan for some time.

M. Murtaza Zeeshan

Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2018