WNAM REPORT: Federal Minister for Board of Investment, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, attended as Chief Guest the 8th Pakistan Leadership Conversation, organized by ACCA, emphasizing collective acceleration, export-led growth, and investor-friendly reforms as key drivers for Pakistan’s economic transformation.
Federal Minister stated that Pakistan’s journey towards a trillion-dollar economy is only possible through alignment of policy, capital, industry, and institutions, noting that fragmented progress cannot deliver sustainable growth.
Drawing lessons from China’s development journey, Sheikh highlighted how China’s focus on value-added products and export-led growth transformed it into one of the world’s leading exporters. He stressed that Pakistan can replicate this success by upgrading its production base, improving quality standards, and moving up the global value chain.
The Minister underlined that future-fit and skilled human capital is critical for sustainable development, adding that productivity enhancement—not just headline GDP growth—must remain Pakistan’s economic north star. He emphasized technology adoption, managerial capacity, and SME formalization to strengthen competitiveness.
Highlighting digital transformation, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said that digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and fintech can enable Pakistan to leapfrog economically, provided adoption moves from pilot projects to large-scale platforms.
Referring to improving market sentiment, the Federal Minister noted that rising investor confidence reflected in the stock market performance indicates growing trust in Pakistan’s economic direction.
Reaffirming the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif’s vision, he stated that the government is implementing investor-friendly reforms to improve ease of doing business and ensure regulatory predictability.
The Minister informed investors that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) offer a 10-year income tax exemption, while around 6,000 acres of land are available near Port Qasim for investment purposes. He further highlighted that the Business Facilitation Cente (BFC) is providing one-window solutions to domestic and foreign investors.
He concluded by reiterating that the Board of Investment remains committed to providing all possible facilitation to foreign investors and positioning Pakistan as a competitive, reliable, and future-ready investment destination.
