Leading Chinese mobile phone company Huawei is keen to invest $100 million in Pakistan.
Huwaei Group’s vice president Mark Xueman stated that Pakistan is a strategic marketplace for the company. “The company can invest around $100 million within the country this year,” Xueman said during a gathering with Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform Khusro Bakhtyar.
The vice president said that his company can set up a regional headquarters in Islamabad at a cost of $55 million, which might produce job opportunities for local young engineers.
Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, CPEC Project Director Hassan Daud and senior officials of the ministry were also present within the meeting.
Mark Xueman said that Huawei will invest $15 million in its Technical Support Centre in Pakistan and hire a lot of workforces, taking its employees from 600 to 800 during the year.
He said the corporate is eager to initiate more projects in Pakistan on grant funding from the Chinese government.
Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, whereas appreciating Huawei’s continuing engagement in Pakistan, said the corporate could support Pakistan in developing and upgrading the information technology (IT) sector.
He said that Huawei contains a 25th market share in Pakistan’s mobile industry and was also the highest tax-paying Chinese company within the country.
The minister appreciated Huawei’s engagement with the Higher Education Commission for its smart schools project with the latest information and communications technology equipment.
He stressed on exploring new business models for future projects and joint ventures in Pakistan. Huawei will contribute to the government’s e-governance initiative additionally in centralizing data to boost efficiency and productivity, he said.
The minister added that Huawei will support IT start-up projects in Pakistan to profit the youth within the important sector. He assured that the ministry will work with Huawei in future joint ventures as well.
