Pakistan’s Power Sector Delegation meets with the President OPIC
In the final phase of his visit to Washington DC for the Energy Working Group meeting, the Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif met with President Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Ms. Elizabeth Littlefield and her team.
During the meeting the two sides reviewed the program portfolio of OPIC in Pakistan. The President of OPIC, who had visited Pakistan earlier this year, noted that the recent reforms introduced by the Government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the energy sector had sent positive signal to the US business community and would lead to enhanced flow of FDI in the coming months. Sharing details of the existing OPIC portfolio in Pakistan worth $400 million, Ms. Littlefield hoped that following the investor friendly policies of the government, the size of the OPIC program would increase substantially in the near future. She informed that OPIC was considering a range of projects including in the field of Wind Energy, Food processing and other sectors. A presentation on the OPIC wind projects in Pakistan was also made during the meeting.
Minister for Water and Power emphasized that with the personal commitment of the Prime Minister to continue with his reform agenda, Pakistan was presenting an attractive choice for international investors. He assured Ms. Littlefield that the US investors will be provided full facilitation by the government. He also highlighted the importance that Pakistan attached to attracting investments to build transmission lines and related infrastructure. Terming wind energy as one of the priorities of the government, Secretary Water and Power informed that the government was determined to establish the “Wind Corridor” and would ensure that the additional electricity is added in the system without any delay.
President OPIC thanked the Minister for Water and Power for his keen interest in the power sector reforms and hoped that OPIC would be able to significantly enhance its investment in Pakistan during the next two years.
November 13, 2013
Washington, DC
