With its unique geo-strategic location, vast human resources and a huge untapped growth potential, Pakistan provides attractive incentives and liberal policies for investment in all sectors of the economy for foreign and local investors. The traditional as well as non-traditional sectors of our economy offer the business community great opportunities to invest in the country and to have maximum dividends on their investments.

The value-added textiles, food processing, information technology, logistics, automobiles and tourism sectors are some of the areas where great potential exists for investment to the mutual benefit of all. The Government of Pakistan is cognizant of various challenges to its economy and is undertaking every possible effort to overcome these challenges and ensure a business friendly climate. I invite you to visit Pakistan and to take advantage of investment opportunities in the country.

With over 210 million inhabitants, Pakistan offers its investors a strong and large consumer market with an ever expanding middle class. Strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia and close proximity to the Gulf countries, makes Pakistan a promising regional hub and an important market for intra and inter-regional trade and investment. Pakistan as an investment destination, offers investor friendly policies with the commitment to resolve and enhance the business competitiveness in the region.

Almost all sectors of economy are open to investment with attractive incentives and liberal policies to give investors a competitive and thriving business environment.

Pakistan has an edge over all its regional competitors. The country offers equal opportunities to foreign and local investors. As an emerging economy, Pakistan offers the opportunity of diversification to global players with strong intention to structural reforms in various sectors of the economy. Pakistan presents vast investment opportunities with lucrative returns to investors.
The Government, as a policy leader, has significant role of facilitating entrepreneurs to enhance ease of doing business. We have mandated the Board of Investment to serve as facilitator to investors and I am sure that there will be facilitation to the investors at the highest level of the Government as well. I strongly believe that this is the right time to invest in Pakistan - don't miss the opportunity.

The Board of Investment (BOI) is Pakistan’s premier investment promotion body, responsible for attracting, facilitating and promoting both local and foreign investment in Pakistan. Despite the downturn in the global economy, Pakistan has experienced the return of foreign investment, structural reforms implementation, improvement in the overall fiscal and monetary situation. It is typical for a developing country, such as ours, to be faced by challenges. However, international investors appreciate the fact that Pakistan is one of the first amongst its regional competitors to liberalize both its economy and investment policy.

Government of Pakistan lays great emphasis on sustainable economic development and, therefore, the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will play a fundamental role in energizing Pakistan’s economy. As Advisor Investment, I intend to further our endeavors and mobilize private investments, both domestic and foreign. Our strategy, complementing our robust FDI framework, will lead not only to non-financial contributions that come along with FDI but also to increased economic development.

Systematically, we aim to achieve our objectives by further liberalizing Pakistan’s regulatory environment to make it easier for domestic and foreign entities to start up and develop. We aim to streamline and formalize business procedures and to elevate Pakistan’s ranking in “Ease of Doing Business Ranking Index” and increase global competitiveness. BOI has a strong history of actively engaging and facilitating the flow of FDI in Pakistan through speedy and transparent processing of applications, implementation of SEZs Act and execution of Investment Policy and Strategy. We welcome investors to make their businesses a success in the most lucrative investment destination of the world, i.e. Pakistan. BOI provides a professional one-window interface for all investors, local as well as international.

The Government has adopted the policies of privatization, liberalization and deregulation of economy in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Investment Policy has been formulated to create an investors friendly environment with a focus on further opening up of the economy to attract foreign direct investment and provide equal treatment to foreign and local investors. Foreign equity up to 100% is allowed, with no restriction on remittances of royalty, technical & franchise fee, dividends, capital & profits gains.

Due to this policy the inflows witnessed an unprecedented increase in the past, mainly due to economic reforms, financial and capital market reforms along with wide scale Investment in the infrastructure by the Government of Pakistan. Investment registered declining trend since 2008 due to global recession, domestic problems of energy crises and security concerns. However, the economy has now started showing sign of rejuvenation. The investment policy, supported by investment growth strategy, provides comfort to prospective investors for continuation of Investment regime.

To meet the global challenges and international competitiveness effectively, Government of Pakistan has created Special Economic Zones (SEZs) scheme in Pakistan, which has become basic tool to assist investment policy. The establishment of SEZs will help to attract FDI. The SEZs law will allow creation of industrial clusters with liberal incentives, infrastructure facilities, tax reliefs and investment facilitation services to enhance productivity and ease in doing business through one window operation. The law will also ensure consistency, continuity and transparency in economic policy beyond political divide and restore investor confidence; it further guarantees that incentives once granted would not be withdrawn due to conflict of interest.

I acknowledge the hard work of BOI officials in achieving these objectives despite going through the difficult times. I wish them success in achieving higher results and working together as a strong team for the benefit of the country.