ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday advised the government to expedite setting up a motorcycle manufacturing plant to relieve pressure on public transport and facilitate the low income groups with an economical and affordable means of transport.

This he said during a meeting in the Presidency to review progress in building of a motorcycle plant in Karachi by the Japanese manufacturer Yamaha.

The meeting presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari was attended by Senior Minister for Industries Ch. Pervaiz Ilahi, Secretary General to the President M. Salman Faruqui, Chairman BOI Saleem H. Mandviwala, Secretary Industries Aziz Ahmed Bilour and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar.

Briefing the media Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that during the President's visit to Japan and his meeting with Japanese investors and manufacturers, Yamaha Motorcycle Company had shown interest in setting up a motorcycle manufacturing plant in Pakistan.

He said that during the meeting, it was informed that teams of Japanese manufacturer Yamaha had already visited Pakistan to firm up plans and proposals for manufacturing motorcycles in Karachi.

The President called for encouraging foreign investments in the country and to extend all possible facilitation to the foreign investors to take advantage of investment opportunities in the country.

The President said that motorbike was an economical means of transport for low income people and directed that all bottlenecks in the way of Yamaha investment and setting up manufacturing plant in Pakistan should be removed on priority and the process should be stepped up.

He said that the government was working hard to transform the country into one of the most attractive and business friendly places in the region.

The President said that the government was also committed to ease and simplify the procedures to facilitate investors and the businessmen.