Karachi: Pakistan’s foreign direct investment (FDI), in the first four months of the current fiscal year, increased by 238 percent — going from USD 192 million (during the same period last year) to USD 650 million, a news source reported. As per the publication, the highest inflows during this period came from Norway (USD 263.7 million) and China (USD 122 million).
The telecommunications sector attracted the largest investments, worth USD 267 million, and has been a prime attraction for foreign investors, along with oil and gas exploration and the power sector. In addition, the electrical machinery sector attracted USD 72 million in FDI, while foreign investment in both the equity market and government security debts also experienced a significant increase during this period. Moreover, market treasury bills managed to receive a record breaking high investment of USD 800 million — surpassing all expectations.
It is important to note that high interest rates within the country have had a significant impact on attracting investors. Whereas the government back securities were yielding nearly 13%, the dollar depositors get below 3%, all around the world.
