A high level British delegation, headed by Dr Andrew Parmley, the Lord Mayor of City of London, visited the SECP on Friday. He was accompanied by HE Richard Crowder, Deputy High Commissioner, Islamabad, and HE Belinda Lewis, Deputy High Commissioner, Karachi, and Director, Department of International Trade, Pakistan.
The delegation comprised of representatives of public and private sectors, and included Peter Estlin, Sheriff of the City of London and Ben Cackett, Head of Export and Investment, Economic Development Office. The SECP side was represented by the Chairman, Commissioners and senior officers.
The SECP chairman, Zafar Hijazi, welcomed the delegation and emphasised the close relations between the people and governments of the both countries, which are based on historical ties and continued support of the British government for Pakistan's development.
He highlighted that such visits are necessary for building closer economic ties and bringing the two countries closer in terms of their co-operation to promote trade and investment.
He thanked the Lord Mayor for visiting Pakistan and the SECP. The Lord Mayor talked of the long history of cordial relations between the two countries and emphasised the importance of closer economic ties. He appreciated the conducive business environment in Pakistan, and agreed that there are plenty of opportunities for investors.
He also highlighted that improved security situation in the country is a good omen, and needs to be highlighted in a forceful manner with international investors.
He thanked the SECP for hosting him. He hoped that his trip would pave the way for more such visits to Pakistan. The delegation was given a comprehensive briefing on the working and achievements of the SECP.
The comprehensive regulatory reform work undertaken by SECP in the last two years came under discussion.
The development road map of the SECP with respect to Capital Markets, Islamic Finance and Insurance sector were also discussed in detail.
The presentation was followed by questions about the capital markets and the opportunities that Pakistan offers. The questions were answered by the SECP team.-PR