Founder Chairman Pak-US Business Council Iftikhar Ali Malik Friday urged the world to revisit their visa policies to facilitates Pakistani business community and tourists after Prime Minister Imran Khan introduced liberal visa regime to attract foreign investors and tourists
LAHORE (Pakistan Point News / NNI - 29th March, 2019) Founder Chairman Pak-US Business Council Iftikhar Ali Malik Friday urged the world to revisit their visa policies to facilitates Pakistani business community and tourists after Prime Minister Imran Khan introduced liberal visa regime to attract foreign investors and tourists.In a statement issued here on Friday, Iftikhar Malik who is also Senior Vice President of SAARC CCI said there must be an incentive package for Pakistan for being a front-line state in combating terrorism with the USA and other world countries.
"There is a need for duty cut and market access for Pakistani textile goods to the global market including USA," he added.He further said visa restrictions should be eased for the Pakistani businessmen and exporters and joint efforts were needed to further cement the existing economic ties between Pakistan and global private sector.He further said the world is recognizing Pakistan greater role for bringing Taliban on dialogue table with the American government and this also clearly indicated Pakistan's desire to restore peace not only in Afghanistan but also in the region.
He stressed that after 18 years of conflict, it was clear that lasting peace in Afghanistan could only be achieved through a comprehensive political process with the active participation of Pakistan.He said that there is need to create conducive environment for trade and investment and explore the untapped potential and for this purpose, he suggested Prime Minister Imran Khan to give now special task to the finance minister and the cabinet to raise the investment-to-GDP ratio to 20-25% during the government's five-year tenure.
This will improve job creation, productivity and exports.He further said foreign investors not only go to countries for skilled labour force, but they also look for knowledgeable workers and ideas. "Both school and tertiary education in Pakistan is useless for developing the skill-set. Technical and vocational education is marginalised and yields poor outcomes," adding he said the government should now focus on investing in training and research to meet the world challenges after liberal visa regime.
Iftikhar Malik who is also chairman of United Business Group (UBG) said there is a need to identify key skills for garments, IT, engineering and food processing sectors and massive labour force should be trained through public-private partnership on the pattern of Digital Skills initiative of the Ministry of Information Technology.He said Pakistan needs to strengthen its regulators by enhancing their autonomy and professionalism and for this purpose the PTI government should especially focus on ensuring deployment of quality human resources at all levels in the regulators.
He said the government should also pay special attention to build state capacity as the public sector has very little understanding of future economy. "There is a need to train public servants to understand the dynamics of industrial revolution," he added.He said the security situation stood much improved in the country as a result of sacrifices "rendered by our people and the armed forces.Iftikhar Malik urged the global business community to visit Pakistan to seek ample opportunities of investment and progress. NNI
