H.E. Mr. Bénédict de Cerjat, Ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan, accompanied by Mr. Mohsin Ali Nathani, Vice President of the Swiss Business Council and President & CEO of Habib Metropolitan Bank, visited the OICCI on June 8, 2022. This was his second follow-up visit to the chamber. The Ambassador was welcomed by Mr Ghias Khan, President OICCI and Mr. M Abdul Aleem, CE/Secretary General OICCI. The purpose of his visit was to sought the chamber’s viewpoint on current economic situation in Pakistan and its impact on the businesses

OICCI CE/Secretary General, M. Abdul Aleem, shared a detailed presentation which included the brief profile of the OICCI: including a snapshot of the members contribution to the economy, role of the chamber in facilitating FDI in the country, and research studies done by the chamber, results of the last Business Confidence Index conducted in April 2022, and the Perception and Investment Survey 2021, Swiss companies who are members of the Chamber, Sectors offering Best Opportunities for investment in the country, the business operating environment in Pakistan, as well as an overview of the OICCI perspective on the current economic scene in the country, including key challenges and opportunities for foreign investors. He further expounded upon the opportunities Pakistan offers for foreign investors, and mentioned that OICCI members remain optimistic about the business potential of the country and have made capital investment of over US$20 billion, which is more than the country’s total FDI, in last ten years.

His Excellency, Mr. Bénédict de Cerjat, sought OICCI views on several matters of business interest, the need for a dynamic trade policy and related infrastructure for Pakistan to be competitive in international trade infrastructure, the need for focusing on positive news to attract investment, and improve the international image of the country. He was confident the potential of the business environment in Pakistan and stressed how it could further improve by streamlining business related approval processes and policy implementation. Mr. Aleem mentioned that potential new investors joining hands with local entrepreneurs would give an edge to new businesses.

He concluded the session and thanked M. Abdul Aleem for the presentation and appreciated the OICCI’s role in working on attracting investment into Pakistan.