"This is the time to invest in Pakistan, don’t miss the boat": Imran Khan

[SecondSlip]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday invited foreign investors to invest in the country, which he said was on upswing following his vision for a “strong and prosperous Pakistan”.

“Pakistan is on the upswing this is the time to come to Pakistan, don’t miss the boat,” the premier said while addressing the 7th World Government Summit in Dubai.

PM Imran said his government was pursuing a reform agenda to develop Pakistan on modern lines, which included facilitating ease of doing business, changing tax laws, and encouraging investments. He said Pakistan had the greatest tourism potential and the government was focusing on that sector.

PM Imran said Pakistan had immense tourism opportunities, adding that, “We have some of the most important religious sites … the Makkah and Madina of Sikhism can be found in Pakistan.”

PM Imran meets Abu Dhabi crown prince, IMF chief on sidelines of Dubai summit

Premier Imran said he wanted to follow the example of China and how they were able to end mass poverty in their country. He said the PTI government also believed in investing in human capital of the country to uplift common people.

“There is a dire need to establish a welfare state in Pakistan just like the one established by the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” he remarked, adding that the rule of law must reign supreme for Pakistan to prosper.

“I have failed many times in life, but I learnt to rise back up and work even harder to succeed.”

His participation at the annual gathering of heads of states and governments, experts and policymakers, stressed the country’s interest in economic growth and green development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SPeO1ULZHA

 

[sjahmed23]

Man the arabs really like IK, never saw nawaz or any other leader giving speeches in front of arab leaders. Hope he delivers on his promise and vision he has a lot of good things to say but has his work cut out.

 

[slipcatch]

Man the arabs really like IK, never saw nawaz or any other leader giving speeches in front of arab leaders. Hope he delivers on his promise and vision he has a lot of good things to say but has his work cut out.

He will.

Reforms takes time.

Results takes time.

There will be many who would blame Army, support to Kashmir resistance, democracy, when past 3 elected PMl were democratically elected, and how Nawas Sharif was good despite of being one of the two most corrupt politician in the history of Pakistan.

It’ll take time but Pakistan is headed in right direction.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The potential of Pakistan & its people has been the driving factor in my political journey. To all those parties looking at Pakistan today as it begins it’s uphill journey, my message from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldGovernmentSummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldGovernmentSummit</a> is: this is the time to invest in Pakistan, don’t miss the boat <a href="https://t.co/mk8yzQtF3W">pic.twitter.com/mk8yzQtF3W</a></p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1094665065356296192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Salma_T]

There are a lot of haters of Imran Khan but it takes time to sort out a nation that has been neglected by the leaders whose only concern has been how much they can loot from it.

 

[Mamoon]

Translation:

Please give us some money, I beg you.

 

[TM Riddle]

Translation:

Please give us some money, I beg you.

What else is he supposed to say?
Pakistan do need investments and he's basically doing his job.

 

[Napa]

The reforms that would give a boost to Pakistan's economy is improving the security environment so that foreign investors feel that their investments would be protected.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If IK improves Pakistan's economy then by the end of his term you will see that Pakistan's export composition has changed towards higher value added goods (autos, pharma, software etc.).

 

[Deewana Mastana]

IK really needs to stop going on about his cricketing years in his speeches using them as references time and time again as everyone knows that as it's just repetitive.

Also he said about how Pakistan tops the list of being the most generous in giving charity but don't want to give taxes - Now who would want to give taxes?

Countries/Governments around the world have legislation's in place where it means that they deduct tax before you even get paid. Nobody would want to give tax voluntarily it is the government that takes that automatically out of salaries and everything else.

We all want to see Pakistan prosper and get on the right track but he and his government need to put laws, legislation's into place to action these if they want taxes to be paid as there is no other way round it.

As for asking for foreign investment and tourism, things need to improve massively first in terms of security and tourism facilities and places need to be improved for that to happen.

 

[Slog]

This is one of the great speeches by a Pakistani leader at an international forum

Nawaz couldnt give 1/10th of such a speech even with his cheat sheets

 

[Syed1]

All Nawaz could manage was look at his notes and say "hello Mr. Obama"

 

[iRfaN_LA]

Translation:

Please give us some money, I beg you.

Mamoon, what's up with all the blind hate? Did you even listen to what he is saying. I thought you were a rational person.

 

[troodon]

IK seems to be a good man. Security seems to have improved in Pakistan as no more blasts are happening. This means only one thing. Foreign investment and Tourism will improve. It takes time.

 

[moghul]

Man the arabs really like IK, never saw nawaz or any other leader giving speeches in front of arab leaders. Hope he delivers on his promise and vision he has a lot of good things to say but has his work cut out.

First of all, we all know Shareef and Zardari would not be able to talk in front of so many audience and 2nd they were more interested in making deals for personal gains and those are made in a room not in conference hall. Imran is different.

 

[moghul]

This is one of the great speeches by a Pakistani leader at an international forum

Nawaz couldnt give 1/10th of such a speech even with his cheat sheets

You're forgetting great speech Nawaz delivered in front of Obama, that reading from ****** while sweating profusely--------------what a disgrace was he.

 

[Braveheart]

You're forgetting great speech Nawaz delivered in front of Obama, that reading from ****** while sweating profusely--------------what a disgrace was he.

Leave the poor guy alone... he was 'Star Struck' )

 

[slipcatch]

Translation:

Please give us some money, I beg you.

I beg you to stop embarrassing yourself.

You do not have to comment on every IK thread if you have nothing to say.

Obsession is almost worrisome.

 

[Pakpak]

I beg you to stop embarrassing yourself.

You do not have to comment on every IK thread if you have nothing to say.

Obsession is almost worrisome.

And atleast he is begging on behalf of the nation, not for his bank account. Him begging is also because the previous imbeciles left the treasury ruined. This troll you quoted adds nothing to any discussion, whatsoever.

 

[Savak]

I beg you to stop embarrassing yourself.

You do not have to comment on every IK thread if you have nothing to say.

Obsession is almost worrisome.

That translation was only for IK, had it been AZ or Nawaz, he would have conveniently spun the narrative and praised them for bringing investors to Pakistan.

 

[slipcatch]

And atleast he is begging on behalf of the nation, not for his bank account. Him begging is also because the previous imbeciles left the treasury ruined. This troll you quoted adds nothing to any discussion, whatsoever.

That translation was only for IK, had it been AZ or Nawaz, he would have conveniently spun the narrative and praised them for bringing investors to Pakistan.

It is not even begging, asking other nations and business to invest in Pakistan does not translate into begging.

Trying to create an environment and selling it on international forum does not translate in to begging.

Asking for help from friendly countries does not translate in to begging.

Asking for loans from a country to become a better economy does not translate in to begging.

Every company has loans.

As I said, obsession with IK is very worrisome.

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

Local businesses have crashed.

Local Investors are suffering and somebody is selling Sheikh chilli dreams.


Before Panama Papers were used to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Pakistan’s Stock Exchange had become world’s 5th best Stock market and 100 index had touched Pakistan’s record 54000.


Now it stands at 36000.



Amli Shakal of “ Mein Inko Rulaun Ga ”



Investors lose 6 trillion in 10 days.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">پاکستان اسٹاک ایکسچینج: 10 دن میں سرمایہ کاروں کے 6 کھرب ڈوب گئے <a href="https://t.co/mIAIAoXO7I">https://t.co/mIAIAoXO7I</a></p>— Geo News Urdu (@geonews_urdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/geonews_urdu/status/1115983188533420032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Bewal Express]

Local businesses have crashed.

Local Investors are suffering and somebody is selling Sheikh chilli dreams.


Before Panama Papers were used to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Pakistan’s Stock Exchange had become world’s 5th best Stock market and 100 index had touched Pakistan’s record 54000.


Now it stands at 36000.



Amli Shakal of “ Mein Inko Rulaun Ga ”



Investors lose 6 trillion in 10 days.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">پاکستان اسٹاک ایکسچینج: 10 دن میں سرمایہ کاروں کے 6 کھرب ڈوب گئے <a href="https://t.co/mIAIAoXO7I">https://t.co/mIAIAoXO7I</a></p>— Geo News Urdu (@geonews_urdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/geonews_urdu/status/1115983188533420032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This is what those guys that offering you carrots left.
The PML-N government (2013-2018) was lucky to have most external factors in its favour. It found petroleum prices at an historic low (prices went down to $20 per barrel). The inflow for CPEC funds and Chinese investment for mega infrastructure and energy projects gave impetus to a stumbling economy. There was no major natural catastrophe. The law and order situation considerably improved, as did the supply of energy.

Apart from the IMF’s $6.5 billion, there were certain other factors that helped build foreign exchange reserves including a one-off payment from a 3G-4G auction, proceeds from Euro and Sukook Bonds, and payment from Saudi Arabia. The question arises: with all these positive externalities, why did the PML-N not leave a healthy economy for the PTI government?

Before answering this question, let us have a look at the chronic issues affecting Pakistan’s economy, which the last three governments found difficult to address.

The first issue is that there is a very narrow tax base. None of the previous governments was very successful in bringing taxable tax-evaders into the tax net (Although the PML-N government doubled the FBR revenue in five years, it failed to broaden the tax base). The second issue is the energy circular debt, which was ignored by the PML-Q (Shaukat Aziz) and which later proved out of control for the PPP because of the extraordinary high crude oil prices. The PML-N government did temporarily clear off the debt after coming into power, but that debt got tripled during the party’s five-year tenure. The third issue affecting our economy is lack of political consensus to reform loss-making public-sector enterprises (LPSEs). Each political party, while in opposition, opposed the then government’s efforts to reform LPSEs.

Now let us see why the PTI finds itself in an economic mess. The biggest problem with the last government’s economic performance was its inability to use the then fortuitous circumstances in addressing the chronic issues faced by Pakistan’s economy. Those issues got further aggravated by a wrong set of policies, especially the policy to artificially stabilize the value of the rupee for which (borrowed) $24 billion were injected by the government in the open market to keep the value of the rupee below Rs105 per dollar from 2014-2017. This overvaluation of rupee from 2014 to 2017, according to Dr Pasha, was a serious mistake, leading to subsidized imports and reduced exports (trade imbalance), large current account deficit and fast rising debt repayment liabilities.

In his latest book, ‘Growth and Inequality’, Dr Pasha writes: “the root causes of the incipient financial crisis today and the need ultimately to go [sic] the IMF are a unique combination of both internal and external factors. Due to a wrong set of policies, especially with regard to the exchange rate, Pakistan has been afflicted by a very rare form of the ‘Dutch Disease’” (apparent causal relationship between the increase in the economic development of a specific sector and a decline in other sectors).

“Large external borrowings have been used to keep the exchange rate nominally stable while leading to plummeting of exports and mushrooming of imports, thereby causing a big widening of the trade gap and resulting in a much larger current account deficit”.

He further writes that “the excessive external borrowing has also led simultaneously to a fast rise in debt repayment liabilities”.

Today, petroleum prices are once again bouncing back, touching nearly $60 per barrel. With the successful conclusion of CPEC’s funded phase-I, flow of funds under CPEC is over. Successive governments’ failure to address the chronic issues of low tax-base, LPSEs, and energy circular debt has led to a stage where circular debt and bailout to LPSE each has exceeded the annual defence budget.

It was quite easy for the current government to go on a lending spree, ignore fiscal discipline and let the economy suffer from a “rare form of the Dutch disease”, leaving a huge economic mess for whoever forms the next government. However, it has chosen a difficult path to address the chronic issues facing Pakistan’s economy.

The unpopular moves to depreciate the value of rupee to its real effective exchange rate, increase energy tariffs to stop further accumulation of energy circular debt, reduce imports through regulatory duties, and possible withdrawal of the unrealistic tax relaxations given in the last budget, will be painful both for the people (who will feel inflationary pressure) as well as the PTI government (which will lose its political capital). However, this pain must be endured by both – considering it an overdue stitch that would save nine stitches in months and years to come.

The writer heads the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/455...or-the-economy

 

[Technics 1210]

Translation:

Please give us some money, I beg you.

Yet when Manmohan Singh of India was persuading the world to invest in India in the 90s, that was not begging was it?

 

[slipcatch]

Yet when Manmohan Singh of India was persuading the world to invest in India in the 90s, that was not begging was it?

Stop making sense, the cuts will get deeper

 

[The_Odd_One]

Imran has been excellent with persuading Saudia and China to invest in Pakistan and I really hope he convinces more countries to follow the same path.

However, the government must not get carried away with the progress. They have to do everything in their power to ensure the safety and security of these investments.

 

[shaaik]

PM Imran orders immediate launch of website to boost tourism

Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued directives to immediately launch a comprehensive web portal identifying all new tourist zones being set up with detailed information to facilitate local as well as foreign tourists, Radio Pakistan reported.

Chairing a meeting on development and promotion of the country’s tourism sector in Islamabad on Thursday, the premier said that “tourism is exploding in Pakistan”.

He was also apprised that 11 integrated tourism zones are being established in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as well as, eight in Punjab.
Pakistan rolls out on-arrival visa policy for five countries on trial basis

PM Imran was briefed that internationally successful models are being followed to promote the tourism industry.

Under the newly rolled out visa regime, Pakistani missions abroad will grant three-month e-visas to foreigners in 175 countries within a processing time of 7-10 working days.

He has spoken of the potential for religious tourism while highlighting the diverse topography to attract foreigners to visit the country.

The prime minister said that the country opening its doors to the world is a manifestation of a new confidence that the security situation has drastically changed and “Pakistan is now secure”.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/194842...mmediate-launch-website-boost-tourism-sector/

 

[Bewal Express]

PM Imran orders immediate launch of website to boost tourism

Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued directives to immediately launch a comprehensive web portal identifying all new tourist zones being set up with detailed information to facilitate local as well as foreign tourists, Radio Pakistan reported.

Chairing a meeting on development and promotion of the country’s tourism sector in Islamabad on Thursday, the premier said that “tourism is exploding in Pakistan”.

He was also apprised that 11 integrated tourism zones are being established in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as well as, eight in Punjab.
Pakistan rolls out on-arrival visa policy for five countries on trial basis

PM Imran was briefed that internationally successful models are being followed to promote the tourism industry.

Under the newly rolled out visa regime, Pakistani missions abroad will grant three-month e-visas to foreigners in 175 countries within a processing time of 7-10 working days.

He has spoken of the potential for religious tourism while highlighting the diverse topography to attract foreigners to visit the country.

The prime minister said that the country opening its doors to the world is a manifestation of a new confidence that the security situation has drastically changed and “Pakistan is now secure”.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/194842...mmediate-launch-website-boost-tourism-sector/

The Tourism has great potential but the perception of security has to change amongst foreigners and that takes time. If we do have success you can bet you last rupee that Ind will sponsor and attack on the tourists to knock us back.