KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah along with Adviser to the Prime Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood and World Bank country director Patchamuthu Illangovan on Wednesday performed the launching ceremony of the Sindh Business Registration Portal as part of improving business reforms in the province.

On the occasion an exhibition was also arranged in a local hotel where the departments concerned had set up their stalls to help entrepreneurs in completing all registration formalities online.

“These reforms are aimed at improving business environment and transforming Karachi into an easy, competitive and business-friendly city in Pakistan and in the region,” the chief minister said while speaking on the occasion.

“In this fast-changing world, there are opportunities that Pakistan cannot afford to miss and there are risks that we must guard against. Pakistan must make right policy choices, focus on human development and create an enabling environment for economic development.”

He said the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report had become one of the most important indicators for companies choosing countries to invest in and on the political side, it was an index on which countries competed, and against which success of governments was measured.

The chief minister said that Sindh was fully resolved to undertake more reforms and adopt policies that created an enabling environment for the private sector and make doing business easy in the province.

“The private sector provides jobs, currently a challenge for our populous country, it generates revenue for the government and it triggers a virtuous cycle of skilled population and financial inclusion while the foreign businesses not only provide jobs, but also bring new technology with them.”

Appreciating the support of the World Bank, he referred to the World Bank’s Top 20 Business Cities initiative in 2020, and said “We will ensure that cities of Sindh participate fully in this competition.”

He also emphasised the need for inter-provincial coordination and coordination between the federal and provincial departments. “We have never felt shy in extending our support or invoking support from other provinces and the federal departments to achieve our common objective of prosperous Pakistan,” he said and added “we will continue with this policy and look forward to working together in a congenial environment in future as well.

The chief minister welcomed the delegation from Punjab for participation in the event and the technical help and assistance extended by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) in the development of the SBRP.

Adviser to the Prime Minister for Investment and Industries Abdul Razzak Dawood in his keynote speech reaffirmed the focus of the government of Pakistan on creating an enabling business environment in the country by furthering the agenda of the Ease of Doing Business Reforms.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Patchamuthu congratulated the chief minister for spearheading the DB reforms as part of a series of 100-Days DB Reform Sprints.

“It was critical that the ongoing reform momentum is sustained to help Pakistan become a competitive and business-friendly investment destination. DB reforms are prominently featured in the Pakistan@100 initiative which aims for the country to be in the top 25 economies.”

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2019