Govt to set up centers to aid investors

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to set up dedicated ‘Ease of Doing Business’ (EOBD) centers in Islamabad and the four provincial capitals in next three months to facilitate the entrepreneurs making investments in Pakistan.

Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Haroon Sharif apprised of the government’s plan in a news conference on Wednesday.

Haroon Sharif said centers would be opened in provinces aimed at facilitating businessmen. “A facility will also be created that will allow traders to apply online for a business visa,” he announced.

Pakistan will be among top 50 countries on ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’ by next year: Sharif

Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to improve Pakistan’s ranking on ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’, where it currently stands on 136 in the list of 190 countries, Sharif continued.

“Pakistan will be among the top 50 countries on the index by next year.”

Flanked alongside Adviser to PM for Commerce, Textile and Industry Production Abdul Razak Dawood, Sharif said the business community had to pay 47 different taxes until three months ago, but now the number of such taxes had reduced to 16.

“Initiating a business in the country was a difficult process in the past, but now a any company looking to get itself registered will be able to do the same from a single place, instead of going to three different places”, he added.

The chairman BoI said, Punjab had adopted the EODB system and now Sindh would also be transformed onto it. “Such steps will improve Pakistan’s ranking on the World Bank index.”