Pakistan has offered setting up a special economic zone for Japanese business companies, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, Chihiro Atsumi was informed by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Salman Faruqui on Thursday. Faruqui said that Pakistan was already establishing such facility for China in Lahore and was willing to do so for Japan in the south of the country, probably in Karachi.
The Ambassador welcomed the proposal and stated that the Japanese business companies working in Pakistan had a very good perception about doing business in Pakistan and were willing to enhance their investment here. He said that Japan was providing assistance of $500 million for a number of development projects in Pakistan for the current year.
The Ambassador was briefed on a wide range of business and investment opportunities for the Japanese investors in Pakistan such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure development projects. He was informed that Pakistan needed financial assistance for mega projects like Bhasha Dam and mass transit projects in the same fashion as Japan helped Pakistan in constructing Ghazi Brotha project and Indus Highway-both the projects were funded by Japan.
He expressed his special interest in assisting Pakistan in development work in FATA. He said that Japan was already providing financial assistance in education and health sectors in FATA and was willing to extend this co-operation in other areas as well.
Upon this, the Deputy Chairman informed the Ambassador that Japan could help in construction of dams in FATA as these projects would significantly alleviate poverty from the region by providing jobs to the local population. The Japanese Ambassador assured to consider the proposal.-PR