Investment roundtable: Finance minister meets investors in London

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met with members of the international financial community at the Pakistan High Commission in London. This was part of a string of meetings undertaken by the minister in the past two weeks. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: 

The High Commission of Pakistan in London and Deutsche Bank jointly organised an investment roundtable for a select group of key investors in the international financial community for an interactive discussion with the Minister of Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Privatization of Pakistan, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

Pakistan High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, was also present in the meeting, says a press release received from London. The Finance Minister apprised the international financial community of five main issues.

First, Pakistan’s vision for economic prosperity, second, credit highlights which will enable the nation to realise this vision, third, key challenges facing the country, fourth, the opportunities for the
future and fifth, recent steps taken so far by the government to place the country on a path of sustained economic development.

The event was attended by several leading asset managers, representing assets of approximately $3 trillion. The attendees appreciated the finance ministers update on the country and the opportunity to engage in a discussion with the minister.

The minister highlighted opportunities in the financial, energy and information technology sectors and invited the international financial community and their investors to benefit from the vast opportunities available in Pakistan.

The investors showed keen interest in understanding the investment opportunities in various sectors including oil and gas, communication and financial services.

The meeting comes on the heels of the finance minister’s visit to Washington for the annual World Bank-International Monetary Fund meeting, where the minister met with various groups on the sidelines to promote investment in Pakistan. The government, which had been questioned over the need for attending the summit, claimed that these side meetings were important in bolstering investment for Pakistan and educating foreign investors about opportunities present in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif followed Ishaq Dar’s trip in Washington to meet with his counterpart.

The finance minister, through these interactive meetings, intends to attract foreign investment  and educate foreign investors about
the business environment in Pakistan