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Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: Policies and Trends

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  • Ashfaque H. Khan

    (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad.)

Abstract

Recent years have seen a sharp change in the attitude of developing countries regarding Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).. The growing balance-of-payments difficulties as well as the decline in concessional aid live forced many developing countries to reassess their stances on FDI and to take substantial unilateral steps to liberalise their inward FDI regimes. In spite of liberalising the inward FDI regime, tempering or removal of obstacles to foreign investors, and according liberal incentives, Pakistan's has been a lacklustre performance in attracting FDI. This paper attempts to find out the reasons why Pakistan has not been able to attract sufficiently large FDI despite liberalisation measures. The analysis identifies a number of factors responsible for low FDI in Pakistan. These include the lack of political stability particularly during the last eight years, and unsatisfactory law and order situation particularly in the, city of Karachi, the largest industrial and commercial centre and the only port of the country. The macroeconomic imbalances and the slowing down of economic activity together with inconsistent economic policies have also discouraged foreign investors to increase their participation in Pakistan. The slow bureaucratic process, inappropriate business environment, and inadequate infrastructure facilities have played their role in discouraging foreign . investors to undertake investment initiative in Pakistan. The lack of trained, educated, and disciplined labour force, along with complicated and overprotective labour laws, have inhibited business expansion and frightened away productive investment. The cultural and social taboos as well as the quality of life are not conducive to attracting foreign investors to Pakistan. The lack of welcome to foreign investors by government agencies and officials has also been a problem.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashfaque H. Khan, 1997. "Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: Policies and Trends," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 959-985.
  • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:36:y:1997:i:4:p:959-985
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Majeed, Muhammad Tariq & Syed, Shabib Haider, 2006. "The Behavior of FDI in South Asian Countries," MPRA Paper 57705, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Sajawal Khan & Muhammad Arshad Khan, 2007. "What Determines Private Investment? The Case of Pakistan," Finance Working Papers 22202, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    3. Muhammad Arshad Khan, 2007. "Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: The Role of Domestic Financial Sector," PIDE-Working Papers 2007:18, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    4. Rizwana Siddiqui & A. R. Kemal, 2006. "Poverty-reducing or Poverty-inducing? A CGE-based Analysis of Foreign Capital Inflows in Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2006:2, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    5. Naveed H. Naqvi, 2002. "Crowding-in or Crowding-out? Modelling the Relationship between Public and Private Fixed Capital Formation Using Co-integration Analysis: The Case of Pakistan 1964-2000," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 41(3), pages 255-276.
    6. Ali, Murad, 2017. "Implementing the 2030 Agenda in Pakistan: the critical role of an enabling environment in the mobilisation of domestic and external resources," IDOS Discussion Papers 14/2017, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    7. Hafsa Hina, 2021. "Why Do We Have Less Investment Than China and India?," PIDE Knowledge Brief 2021:36, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    8. Mughal, Mazhar, 2008. "Boon or bane- role of FDI in the economic growth of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 16468, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Tilat Anwar, 2002. "Impact of Globalization and Liberalization on Growth, Employment and Poverty: A Case Study of Pakistan," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-17, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Mohsin Hasnain Ahmad & Qazi Masood Ahmed & Zeeshan Atiq, 2018. "The Impact of Quality of Institutions on Sectoral FDI," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 53(3), pages 174-188, August.
    11. Hafsa Hina, 2021. "Why do We Have Less Investment than China and India?," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 60(2), pages 213-224.
    12. Muhammad Asif & Abdul Majid, 2018. "Institutional quality, natural resources and FDI: empirical evidence from Pakistan," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 8(4), pages 391-407, December.
    13. Gould, David M. & Tan, Congyan & Emamgholi, Amir S. Sadeghi, 2013. "Attracting foreign direct investment : what can South Asia's lack of success teach other developing countries ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6696, The World Bank.
    14. Velu Suresh Kumar, 2022. "Relationship Between FDI Inflows and Export: The Case of India," Shanlax International Journal of Economics, Shanlax Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 18-25, December.
    15. Junaid Ahmed & Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, 2016. "Blessing or Curse," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(1), pages 38-66, April.
    16. Mohsin Hasnain Ahmad & Qazi Masood Ahmed, 2014. "Does the Institutional Quality Matter to Attract the Foreign Direct Investment? An Empirical Investigation for Pakistan," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 15(1), pages 55-70, March.
    17. Zahir Shah & Qazi Masood Ahmed, 2002. "Measurement of Cost of Capital for Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan: A Neoclassical Approach," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 41(4), pages 807-823.

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