Pakistan’s strategic advantage in being the gateway to Central Asia, Gulf and the West Asia makes Pakistan a market full of opportunities.Prime Minister Sharif
Telenor is currently employing more than 2000 people directly and between 30,000-40,000 people indirectly having 34 million customers in Pakistan. Jon Fredrik Baksaas
ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said the government’s policies offer a market-driven and pragmatic approach supported by an evolving institutional framework that facilitates regional trade and investment flows.
He made these remarks during his meeting with CEO of Telenor Norway, Mr. Jon Fredrik Baksaas, who called on him on the sidelines of Oslo Summit, here today.
The Prime Minister said investment policy has been designed to provide a comprehensive framework for creating a conducive business environment for the attraction of FDI.
He appreciated the role and investment by Telenor in Pakistan and said that Pakistan’s strategic advantage in being the gateway to Central Asia, Gulf and the West Asia makes Pakistan a market full of opportunities. Pakistan’s policy trends have been consistent, with liberalization, deregulation, privatization and facilitation being its cornerstones, he added.
The Prime Minister said the consumer market in Pakistan is growing at a very fast pace as is reflected by tele-density which has now reached 125 million.
He said telecom sector of Pakistan has attracted substantial investment after deregulation and during the last 10 years billions of dollars have been invested in telecom infrastructure in the country.
Mr. Baksaas appreciated the reforms and initiatives taken by the government towards stabilizing the economy and improving macro-economic stability.
He also briefed the Prime Minister about the history of Telenor, which came to Pakistan in 2004. The company is currently employing more than 2000 people directly and between 30,000-40,000 people indirectly having 34 million customers in Pakistan with a market share of more than 50%. In the longer run the company also wants to enter in micro-finance sector, he informed the Prime Minister.
He said Pakistan is the only country in the world to have done biometric verification of mobile phone sims which can go a long way in digitalization of country.