Renowned economist Haroon Sharif appointed as BOI chairman

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved the appointment of eminent economist Haroon Sharif as the chairman of the Board of Investment.

Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet on Thursday which approved Sharif’s appointment. He replaces investment banker Naeem Y Zamindar who was appointed in November 2017.

Haroon Sharif has worked with the World Bank as an Adviser on Regional Economic Cooperation responsible for facilitating and influencing policy dialogue to promote economic cooperation among countries in South and Central Asia.

He also worked as a core member of the South Asia regional integration team and focusing on the political and economic drivers and constraints to cross-border and regional cooperation.

Sharif will assist Pakistan to better integrate with neighbouring countries and facilitate the private sector-led cooperation, which includes trade, supply chain integration and foreign direct investment.

Haroon has been working for the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). As head of the Economic Growth Group for Pakistan, he managed a multi-million dollar portfolio focused on growth, financial sector development and job creation.

Haroon Sharif has also been closely associated with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in the past and has a vast experience in banking, leasing, corporate finance and investment.

He has also worked with private entities in US, UK, Middle East and Central Asia. He was a senior fellow of the British Council and worked to represent Pakistan on various forums.

He has received recognition at international financial institutions for promoting investments and working in close liaison with the government officials to boost confidence.

The BOI is an investment promotion agency that assists companies planning to invest in Pakistan and those planning to expand their already existing Pakistani operations.