Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday launched ''Online Work Visa Application system'', introduced by the Board of Investment (BoI) for the foreign investors, which would enable them to get the work visa immediately. The Prime Minister said that the new service is leading the BoI towards the automation of investment procedures.
"In order to improve the work efficiency of BoI, to provide better services to investors, contemplating to invest in Pakistan, we took the initiative of visa online and we always try to avoid unnecessary delays in providing services and support to the investors", he said.
BoI Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla said that it would lessen the hassle of long documentation and delays in issuing a visa to the investors and they will submit and process visa application online as well as also been able to view the application''s status as it is changed by the BoI staff. He said that the Ministry of Interior and other stakeholders involved in the visa process would be linked to the visa online service of BoI shortly to further expedite the visa process.
The BoI will provide Online Services to Foreign Investors for Application Submission and Processing of Business Visa Applications, New Branch, Airport Entry Pass, Real-time Updates about Application Status, Online Discussion Forums to Help Investment Seekers and Investors, Registration of Local Businesses in Online Directory and Providing Matchmaking Services to Foreign Investors and Local Businesses.
Earlier, BoI Chairman had proposed at the 5th board meeting of Board that the registration of foreign companies/entities with BoI would be made to identify/track inflow of foreign investment in the country and registration with BoI is mandatory to conduct business in Pakistan. The facility of registration will be online in future through BoI''s website. The investors will not be required to visit BoI. Tracking number will be generated/allocated to the user after submission of required information.
The 5th board meeting of board was chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. Minister of Finance, Minister of Industries and Production, Chairman FBR, deputy Chairman Planning Commission and President FPCCI were also present on special invitation. The representatives of private sector included Maqsood Ismail MD Candy land, Suhail P Ahmad CEO Thal Engineering, Captain Aijaz Ali Faizi CEO vision Air, Asif Jooma CEO Abbott Pharma, Kaeem Siddiqui, President PMB Byco Petroleum Pakistan, Sajjad Gul CEO evernew Studio, Nauman Wazeer CEO FF Steel Frontier Foundry, and Zahid Rafiq of Habib Rafiq.
Chairman BoI said that the Investment Policy 1997 is being revamped/updated to make it more practical by involving private sector and Provincial Governments. The Provinces would be given representation on the BoI Board at the Chief Secretary level and on the future Executive Committee at a senior level.