Key Points
- Investors’ confidence in Pakistan’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) jumps from 61% to 73%
- Nestlé, SOCAR, and other foreign companies plan significant investments
- Large-scale manufacturing and vehicle sales see record growth
- Remittances and technology exports reach historic highs
ISLAMABAD: A recent survey by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed a surge in investors’ confidence in Pakistan’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), rising to 73 per cent from 61 per cent.
Advisor to the Finance Minister on Economy, Khurram Schehzad, described the increase as a clear sign of restored confidence in government policies and initiatives under the Special Investment Facilitation Council.
He highlighted that economic stability and a favourable investment climate have positioned Pakistan as an attractive destination for foreign investors.
Presenting a breakdown of foreign investments, Khurram Schehzad noted that Nestlé plans to invest an additional 60 million dollars in Pakistan, establishing a regional export hub. The company aims to enhance local manufacturing and expand production capacity to supply twenty-six countries.
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan, SOCAR, will finalise its investment in Pakistan’s oil and gas sector in February.
Khurram Schehzad added that twenty foreign investors, including Google, BYD, Aramco, Wafi, Abu Dhabi Ports, Samsung, Turkish Petroleum, and Nova Minerals, have entered Pakistan over the last fifteen to eighteen months, reflecting significant industrial activity.
Large-scale manufacturing has grown by 6 per cent in the first five months of the current fiscal year.
Vehicle sales surged thirty-two per cent, cement sales rose ten per cent, fertiliser sales increased twenty-four per cent, and mobile phone sales jumped twenty per cent, signalling renewed consumer and industrial confidence.
The Adviser further reported that remittances hit a record $19.7 billion in the first half of the fiscal year, up 11 per cent, while technology exports reached $437 million. He noted that eighty per cent of imports consist of raw materials, intermediate components, and capital goods, underscoring the stabilisation of manufacturing activities.
