Foreign direct investment plunges 52pc in four months.

KARACHI -- Foreign direct investment nosedived 52 per cent during the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY23), reflecting the poor economic health and political instability in the country.

The State Bank of Pakistan's latest data issued on Monday showed that the FDI fell to $348.3 million in July-October FY23 from $726.5m during the same period of the last fiscal year (FY22).

The FDI has been declining each year while the volume of investment is also very thin compared to that of regional countries like India, Bangladesh and China. While the main investment is limited to a few sectors, the FDI inflows are limited to a few countries.

The highest FDI of $74.8m came from China during the first four months of the current fiscal year against $99.5m during the same period last year. China has been the biggest investor for the past several years, but its investment has started declining as reflected in the comparative figures for two years.

However, the FDI inflows from the United Arab Emirates increased to $67.6m in the first four months of the current fiscal year from $51.4m during the same period last year. This was the only significant increase in the FDI. A drastic decline in FDI was noted from the Netherlands as it fell to $37.7m from $188m last year. The FDI inflows from Switzerland also declined to $46.6m from $50.9m.

The inflow for electricity and gas was the highest in terms of dollars as it rose to $149m in the first...