Experts Urge Caution on Foreign Investments to Avoid Debt Burdens

• Current FDI strategies are ill-timed and can harm future economy; need open debate before investments become irreversible • Past import substitution projects failed to reduce imports/debt due to lack of foreign revenue to service projects • FDI into privatized state enterprises is expensive "foreign debt" if projects don't generate surplus foreign revenue • Pakistan can afford FDI but only for export projects generating foreign revenue to service investments • Privatize state enterprises to domestic investors if projects don't generate foreign surpluses to avoid profit expatriation