A delegation of OMV, an Austrian oil and gas company, headed by Jaap Huijskes, the CEO of the industrial conglomerate, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House on Thursday evening. Jaap Huijskes was accompanied by Erwin Kroll, Senior Vice-President for Middle Eastern Region, Peter Seitinger, General Manager of OMV Pakistan and Austrian Ambassador Axel Wech.
Dr Asim Hussain, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Special Secretary to th President Major (Retd) Haroon Rashid and Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Waqar Masood Khan and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.
Jaap Huijskes, while briefing the President about his company's business ventures in Pakistan since 1990 in oil and gas exploration, evinced keen interest in extending the firm's operations in Pakistan. The President, while welcoming their interest, urged them for increasing the quantum of investments in the country and to take advantage of investor-friendly E&P policies announced by the government. He appreciated OMV for being a major foreign gas producer in the country.
The President said that as an energy-deficient country endowed with vast untapped oil and gas resources, Pakistan offered great opportunities to entrepreneurs and investors. He said the investment was secure and legislative protection had been given to investment to enhance comfort of businessmen.
The President said that last month he had signed into law a bill that sought to ensure the continuity of incentives to entrepreneurs. The President also invited OMV to consider entering into joint ventures with public sector organisation such as OGDCL and PPL. The delegation thanked the President for the facilitation and support extended to the company by the government in its business ventures.-PR