Efforts on to get country out of FATF grey list: Hafeez

ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (APP):The Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Tuesday said that the government was making all possible efforts to get the country out of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Grey list.

During a meeting with Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Kuninori Matsuda, who called on him here, the adviser said the United States (US) authorities have acknowledged the hard work and seriousness of the Pakistani government on controlling terror financing and money laundering.

The relationship with the United States under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was on a more stable footing than it was during the previous tenures, he said according to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry here today.
The adviser shared with the ambassador the details of his recent visit along with the prime minister to the United States.

The adviser said that the relations between Pakistan and Japan were having immense importance for both the countries and expressed desire to expand trade relations on mutually beneficial and supportive terms.

The adviser welcomed the interest taken by the Japanese in improving the economic relations with Pakistan and said that he would continue to support further strengthening of this relationship.
Meanwhile, the ambassador congratulated the adviser on assuming his responsibilities as the leader of the financial team of the government and briefed the adviser on the existing level of cooperation between the two countries.

According to the statement, he told the adviser that currently the government of Japan and JICA were cooperating with the government of Pakistan on social development programmes, technical assistance in counter terrorism activities and health and hygiene sector.
Moreover, the Japanese investors were planning to invest in pharmaceutical and food and agriculture sectors.

The Ambassador briefed that they were planning to invite high level Pakistani business delegations to Japan to explore the possibilities of finding new trade ventures.

The ambassador informed the adviser that JICA was also planning the next level of economic partnership with the government of Pakistan.
He said, Pakistan could prove an important gateway for expanding the regional trade between Japan and Central Asian States.