QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said on Wednesday that promotion of investment in different sectors needed investment-friendly atmosphere and policies which provided all required facilities to investors under one roof.

Presiding over the first meeting of the steering committee of the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBIT), he underlined the need for serious efforts to attract investment in various sectors in the province.

The chief minister stressed the need for removing hurdles in the way of investment and dispelling a negative impression about investment in the province.

“Our natural resources can help in promotion of investment in the province,” he said and added that the existing laws and regulations would be amended and new laws would be introduced for legal protection of business and investment in the province.

Mr Alyani said that the province had tremendous opportunities for domestic and foreign investors and the government was ready to welcome local and foreign investors in the fields of mining, renewable energy, oil and gas exploration, fisheries, food processing, logistics, coastal development and tourism.

The meeting discussed the creation of an investment-friendly environment in Balochistan and information about investment opportunities and approved measures to provide facilities and incentives to investors.

The meeting approved establishment of BBIT liaison offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Gwadar, an incentive package for investors, conduct of a feasibility of priority projects and holding of events to promote investment.

Briefing the meeting, the chief executive officer of the BBIT spoke about restructuring of the board website and database and preparations to highlight investment opportunities in the province, including a plan to hold investment seminars and road shows in friendly countries, including Germany, China, Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. An annual calendar of the proposed events had been prepared, he said.

Along with other incentives, technical assistance would also be provided to the private sector to promote investment, he said.

The meeting also decided that a framework would be prepared for the investment policy.

Provincial Minister for Livestock and Dairy Development Mitha Khan Kakar, Chief Secretary retd captain Fazeel Asghar, Additional Chief Secretary of Planning and Development Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Livestock Secretary Tayyab Lehri and Information Secretary Shah Irfan Gharshin attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2020