The government has told the international investment community that Pakistan is open for business, pointing to more than 500 regulatory reforms, a one-window facilitation centre, and investor-friendly policy incentives. Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh made the pitch while taking part in a high-level ministerial roundtable on The Next Decade of Global Investment at the 30th World Investment Conference (WIC 2026) in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference is organised by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) from November 10 to 12 and has brought together ministers, heads of investment promotion agencies, and international stakeholders. The minister invited investors to explore opportunities in information technology, agriculture, minerals, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and tourism, and listed infrastructure, logistics, textiles, value-added manufacturing, and food processing as other priority areas.
The minister pointed to the location of the country at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and China, and to the seaports at Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar as important assets for regional connectivity, trade, and logistics. He said Pakistan particularly welcomes investment that builds industrial capacity, brings in modern technology, develops local supply chains, lifts exports, and creates quality jobs. On reforms, he said that the government under Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has carried out more than 500 regulatory reforms across around 30 sectors in coordination with about 90 federal and provincial departments, which aim to simplify procedures, cut compliance costs, remove duplication, and make the regulatory environment more predictable and transparent. He cited the Pakistan Regulatory Modernization Initiative and the Asaan Karobar Act 2025 as milestones.
Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said the Business Facilitation Centre (BFC) of the Board of Investment in Islamabad brings 22 federal agencies under one roof through a one-window mechanism. In its first eight months, the centre served 5,386 businesses, processed 4,555 approvals and No Objection Certificates (NOCs), facilitated investment worth Rs 5.08 billion, and supported 15,680 jobs, while recording an investor satisfaction rating of 9.8 out of 10. He said that Investment Policy 2023 allows up to 100 percent foreign equity in most sectors, subject to applicable laws and sector-specific restrictions, along with the repatriation of capital, profits, and dividends through authorised banking channels. For Special Economic Zones (SEZs), he cited a ten-year income tax exemption for eligible enterprises and a one-time exemption from customs duties and taxes on qualifying capital goods.
The minister added that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) serves as an institutional platform for coordination between the federal and provincial governments and relevant institutions, as Pakistan works to build partnerships and joint ventures that bring capital, technical expertise, innovation, and market access. Discussions at the roundtable centred on how geopolitical developments, shifting supply chains, technological change, climate challenges, and evolving trade patterns are reshaping global investment. He said investment promotion agencies must go beyond conventional marketing and play a more active role in end-to-end investor facilitation, policy development, institutional coordination, and long-term relationships with investors. He reaffirmed the commitment of Pakistan to sustainable and inclusive investment in renewable energy, climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable manufacturing, modern infrastructure, digital transformation, and technology-driven industries, and said Pakistan will expand cooperation with WAIPA and other investment promotion agencies.
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