Singapore, 13 November 2021 (TDI): The Pakistan High Commission in Singapore, in partnership with the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), hosted a webinar titled “Pakistan’s Regional Economic Integration: Challenges and Opportunities’, on November 9, 2021.
The webinar was part of a series of activities hosted by the High Commission in collaboration with ISAS.
Haroon Sharif, former Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), was invited to speak as the Guest Speaker. Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at the ISAS, moderated the event.
Pakistan HC organised a webinar on ‘Pakistan’s Regional Economic Integration: Challenges & Opportunities’ in collaboration with ISAS Singapore with Mr. Haroon Sharif, Frmr Chairman BoI, as guest spkr. @ForeignOfficePkl @epwing_official @appcsocialmedia @PTVNewsOfficial @ISASNus pic.twitter.com/TizrUQvcdD
— Pakistan High Commission Singapore (@PakinSingapore) November 10, 2021
A wide range of people attended, including business chambers, infrastructure businesses in Singapore, think tanks, the media, and diplomats.
Sharif outlined the government’s initiatives to improve commerce and transit flows in Pakistan through improved connectivity in his remarks. He emphasised China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), both of which have the potential to reshape the region and lead to long-term growth.
Haroon Sharif also went into detail on the structural reforms that Pakistan needed to implement in order to improve its institutional capability and maximise its trade potential.
He emphasised the importance of factors such as the bureaucracy’s pro-growth stance, the private sector’s mainstream involvement in economic diplomacy, and investment in knowledge networks and human resources in expanding Pakistan’s regional outreach.
Mr. Sharif stressed the importance of a strong economic framework while also emphasising the importance of geopolitical factors such as stability in Afghanistan, managing the fallout of the US-China rivalry, and long-term peace between India and Pakistan in order to benefit from the strategic regional endowments.
He concluded by emphasising the importance of institutional changes and human resource investment in achieving the desired change toward prosperity.
Sharif responded to questions about the financial viability of investment models, the scope of the corporate bond market in Pakistan, measures to boost export and improve cost efficiency, ensuring growth sustainability during COVID-19, and the impact of geopolitical tensions on regional economic growth, among other topics.
