ISLAMABAD: Canada is one of the major development partners of Pakistan, and the two countries need to further strengthen business and economic linkages, a senior government official said.

During a meeting with High Commissioner of Canada for Pakistan Wendy Gilmour, who called on him, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin said that Pakistan had longstanding and multidimensional ties with Canada.

Extending a warm welcome to the Canadian high commissioner, the finance minister said Canada has a large number of Pakistani diaspora and people-to-people contacts contribute an important component of the bilateral relations.

He briefed the Canadian diplomat about the recent economic developments and initiatives, saying that enhancing revenue collection, boosting exports, increasing remittances and making the energy sector sustainable were the foremost priorities of the present government.

In addition, the government would promote agriculture, housing and the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, while Kamyab Pakistan Programme would be its signature project, he added.

Tarin said that for inclusive and sustainable growth, the government was preparing various short-, medium- and long-term plans in 14 priority areas and it was his firm belief that these plans would bring about a turnaround of the economy and establish it on a more sound footing.

The Canadian high commissioner thanked the minister for his time and said that the Canadian business community saw great investment potential in wind power generation, power transmission systems, as well as the mining sector in Pakistan.

She said the government’s support in these areas would attract Canadian investors to bring their businesses to Pakistan.

The finance minister assured the Canadian high commissioner of his support for attracting investment in Pakistan.

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