New York (Web Desk/Agencies): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized his government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the United States (US) during a meeting with a delegation from the US-Pakistan Business Council in New York on Friday.
Addressing the delegation, which included the president, senior officials, and corporate leaders from leading US companies, he expressed a strong desire to attract American investments in key sectors to foster growth and prosperity.
During his remarks, the prime minister highlighted the government’s focus on improving the ease of doing business in Pakistan, noting that gathering insights from the corporate sector is a top priority.
He introduced the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a high-level, one-stop agency designed to assist foreign investors in planning and executing projects in four critical areas: agriculture, information technology, energy, and mining.
PM Shehbaz explained that the SIFC aims to enhance investor confidence and expedite project implementation through tailored solutions and demand-driven support.
The prime minister identified several sectors in Pakistan’s economy—particularly agriculture, the tech sector (including fintech), pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, and mining—where US companies could take advantage of favorable government policies and engage in mutually beneficial projects.
Attendees included prominent representatives of US investors in Pakistan, such as John Murphy, Senior Vice President and Head of International at the US Chamber of Commerce; Esperanza Jelalian, President of the US-Pakistan Business Council; and Steven Kobos, President and CEO of Excelerate Energy.
Other notable participants came from PepsiCo, TRG Pakistan, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, Illumina, and Abbott.
In her remarks, Ms. Jelalian noted that Pakistan is a favoured destination for US investments and has significant potential. She mentioned that a USPBC delegation is being organized this year to explore additional investment opportunities in Pakistan.
The meeting concluded with an interactive discussion, during which the prime minister addressed various questions from representatives of US enterprises.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited American banks to invest in Pakistan in key sectors of infrastructure, energy, technology and agriculture.
He was talking to a delegation of prominent Pakistani American bankers on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA session in New York.
The prime minister assured the delegation of government's commitment to maintaining a stable macro-economic environment to facilitate foreign investors.
PM Shehbaz informed the delegation about the key initiatives taken by the government to stabilize the economy and attract foreign investment to Pakistan, including broadening the tax base, enhancing the ease of doing business, and ongoing reforms in the state-owned enterprises.
"These steps have resulted in improved economic indicators and up-gradation of Pakistan's credit rating by international rating agencies, including, Fitch and Moodys," the premier asserted.
He also briefed the delegation on the establishment of a Sustainable Finance Framework, which will allow the government to carry out a green and sustainability bond issuance in the international capital markets.
Thanking PM Shehbaz for the opportunity to interact with them, the delegation members lauded the government's policies that have been instrumental in achieving the macroeconomic stability in Pakistan.
They also expressed a deep interest in cooperating with the government for the development of manufacturing sector, especially Small and Medium Enterprises to help bolster the exports.
The delegation comprised high-ranking representatives from prestigious banks including JP Morgan, Natixis Corps & Investments, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Goldman Sachs, Citizens Bank, Lazard, and Audax Group.