Maryam Nawaz invites US investors to explore Punjab opportunities

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has extended an invitation to a high-level US corporate delegation to invest in the province, emphasizing investor-friendly policies and promising possibilities in numerous sectors.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif talking to the delegation in Lahore said that the provincial government is executing the Zero Time to Start policy to remove the bureaucratic hurdles and provide maximum facilitation to the investors for starting commercial operations without any loss of time.

She said the United States has been one of the long-standing economic partners of Pakistan and the presence of American investors in Punjab is a reflection of rising confidence in the business climate of the province. In future Pakistan and the US should focus their economic cooperation on investment, modern technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, minerals, energy and cooperation between private sectors, she said.

Maryam Nawaz claimed that Punjab still contributes the highest to the country’s economy with 55.7 percent of Pakistan’s GDP, 57.5 percent of agriculture, 48 percent of manufacturing and 57.4 percent of the services sector. She said Punjab is an appealing investment location due to its 130 million people, young workforce, 20 Special Economic Zones, two Export Processing Zones and a robust IT ecosystem.

She said that Punjab is the first province of Pakistan to set up an Artificial Intelligence Authority and offers investors a one-window facility, exemption from income tax for 10 years, subsidized lease rates, industrial land and other benefits. The government also intends to consolidate more than 15 regulatory authorities into a single digital platform to minimize costs and processing time for investors.

The chief minister pointed out investment prospects in projects such Ravi Urban Development Authority, Central Business District, Nawaz Sharif Medical City, agro-processing parks, electric mobility, waste management, housing, tourism, information technology and the mining industry. The province is seeking to mobilise $7.1 billion in investment over the next three years, including $3.9 billion from the public sector and $3.2 billion from private investors, she said.

Maryam Nawaz also alluded to Chiniot’s iron ore and copper reserves, pink salt, placer gold and other mineral resources as important potential for global investors. She welcomed American corporations to invest in Punjab and assured them of all government cooperation and fast implementation of investment projects.

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