13/3/07 (Pakistan Times) ISLAMABAD - Malaysia is expected to increase its investments in Pakistan, particularly in food manufacturing and oleochemicals.

So far, Malaysia's Felda has been playing the lead role in Karachi with three major projects of combined investments of RM155 million, private TV reported.

The first joint venture in 1995, between Pakistan's Westbury Group of Companies and Felda and IOI Group, was for a storage facility of edible oils at Port Qasim.

About RM25 million is being invested in these storage tanks to expand the capacity to 100,000 tonnes by December this year, from 78,000 tonnes currently.

The second collaboration took the form of amodern edible oil refinery that can process 240,000 tonnes of palm oil and 60,000 tonnes of soyaoil, sunflower oil, canola oil and cottonseed oil a year.

Major shareholders Westbury, Felda and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd have invested RM60 million in the refinery, which started operations in July last year.

The third joint project between Felda and Westbury involved a liquid cargo terminal at Port Qasim. More than RM70 million has been pumped into this infrastructure, which is expected to start operations by December.

On ways to promote palm oil consumption inPakistan a 50- member delegation of Malaysia would be leading to Karachi from April 17 to 21 to participate in the Malaysia-Pakistan Palm Oil Trade Seminar (POTS).

This is the third edition of the POTS series organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council to generate greater global recognition of the nutritional benefits of palm oil.

It is expected Malaysian palm oil exporters will consider setting up food manufacturing and oleochemical businesses in Pakistan.