'Government offers conducive environment to foreign investors':

Pakistan offers a very conducive environment to the foreign investors including repatriation of their earnings to home back, said Commerce Secretary Mahmood Zafar on Friday. Speaking at the opening session of the 4th meeting of the Pakistan Japan Government business dialogue, the Secretary Commerce highlighted the main features of the policy for import of used cars in Pakistan.
He informed the Japanese counterpart that the appreciation of yen has pushed up the prices of Japanese cars in Pakistan during the last few years. He explained regarding successful operations of major foreign companies in Pakistan. He cited the example of some major European and American companies, which were working for the last many years in Pakistan and their operations steadily expanding with the passage of time.
The Secretary Commerce called for relaxing Japan's visa regime for Pakistani businessmen. He said that since 2011, Pakistani business community has been facing a lot of difficulties in getting Japan's visas. He stressed upon the Japanese side to withdraw travel advisory issued by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan at the earliest so that maximum Japanese businessmen could visit Pakistan without any fear.
The Secretary said that like Europe, Japan should also offer concessions to Pakistani exporters including duty free import of a large number of Pakistani items to Japan so that huge trade imbalance could be addressed positively. Abdul Kader Jaffer, Chairman and CEO Pakistan-Japan Business forum referred to trade imbalance between the two countries and emphasized the need of encouraging Pakistani exports to Japan.
He also called for more Japanese investment in automobile industry, infrastructure and power generation in Pakistan. Okada, Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, who led Japanese side in the dialogue, said that Japan would further promote long-term investment in Pakistan. He said that it is high time for Pakistan to develop their own automobile industry instead of depending on import of used cars.
He said that our government would encourage Japanese automobile industry to further expand their operations in Pakistan. Speaking in the meeting, Pakistan's Ambassador to Japan, Noor Muhammad Jadmani, appreciated Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for organizing this dialogue.