KARACHI: The UK Government and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah brought together senior representatives of British businesses, international investors and multinational corporations (MNCs) at a roundtable in Karachi a day agoto discuss reforms aimed at improving Pakistan’s investment climate.
Convened by the UK Government in partnership with the Government of Sindh, the roundtable brought stakeholders together to strengthen investor confidence and support sustainable economic growth in the province. Participants discussed the key factors shaping investment decisions, including policy predictability, taxation, regulatory frameworks, foreign exchange processes, infrastructure and the broader business environment.
Speaking at the event, Alison Blackburne, Deputy British High Commissioner, said British companies had invested in Pakistan for decades, creating jobs, transferring knowledge and contributing to the country’s economic growth, and that the UK wanted to see that partnership continue to grow. She added that the UK was supporting Pakistan’s government partners to simplify regulations, strengthen institutions and reduce unnecessary barriers for businesses.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah welcomed the contribution of UK businesses to Sindh’s economy and reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to working with the UK and other partners to support reforms in taxation, customs, regulation, digitalisation and investment facilitation.
Officials noted that, with UK support, more than 500 regulatory reforms have been approved over the past year to simplify regulations, improve governance, strengthen institutions and reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses.
The UK is also supporting Karachi’s implementation of the World Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) framework, which identifies and seeks to resolve practical barriers facing firms, including in areas such as business entry, taxation, utilities and dispute resolution.
The roundtable forms part of the UK’s continued engagement with the Government of Sindh to improve the ease of doing business and attract greater foreign investment to the province.
