Pakistan signs agreement with UAE firm for expertise to drive foreign investment

In this picture taken on January 11, 2022, a foreign currency dealer counts US dollar notes at a shop in Karachi. (AFP/File)
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  • Islamabad established the SIFC, a civil-military hybrid forum, in June last year to attract investment
  • The UAE consultancy firm will provide expertise over a period of 18 months focusing on a number of areas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has signed an agreement with an Emirati consultancy firm, AT Kearney Middle East Limited, for the promotion of foreign investment in the country’s diverse sectors, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday.
Islamabad established the SIFC, a civil-military hybrid forum, in June last year to attract foreign direct investment in agriculture, mining, information technology, defense production and energy sectors.
A team of AT Kearney and Pakistan’s Public-Private Partnership Authority officials held a detailed meeting with the SIFC national coordinator to discuss the roadmap for collaboration, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The UAE company will provide expertise over a period of eighteen months focusing on a number of key areas to drive foreign investment,” the report read.
“The agreement includes strategies for attracting investment in key sectors and conducting pre-feasibility studies for selected projects.”
The development comes amid a push for foreign investment by Pakistan, which has been facing low foreign exchange reserves, currency devaluation and high inflation.
The South Asian country is making desperate attempts to boost foreign investment and has reached a $7 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support its $350 billion fragile economy.