Having broken ground on a new project to extend its existing manufacturing facility at Port Qasim, Karachi, Procter & Gamble is planning to manufacture its popular hair care ranges, Pantene and Head & Shoulders, locally for the Pakistan market, according to a report in The Express Tribune.

The move comes on the back on an ever-improving business environment in the country, according to P&G Pakistan Country Manager, Sami Ahmed. “It’s relatively easier to do business now; the business environment is more investment friendly,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune.

Overall business confidence in Pakistan has improved by four percentage points, reaching 22 percent, according to the Business Confidence Index Survey Wave 11, thanks to increasingly stable macroeconomic conditions and improved security. The country’s economy is projected to report growth of 4.5 percent this year – a seven-year high.

P&G has enjoyed double-digit growth in the market for the last three years, fuelled by improving political stability, Pakistan’s large population and increasing urbanization. “The company has been experiencing good results in Pakistan,” reveals Ahmed. “Mass consumer goods companies are always focused on the population size. These are very young people who are much more open to new categories and ideas, thus driving the FMCG business. This is the reason why Pakistan is a very serious area of focus for P&G.

“We feel that the overall purchasing power of the people and awareness about branded products is increasing. All these factors make the case for the consumer sector,” he added.

P&G already manufactures top-selling brands Safeguard and Ariel in the country via its Port Qasim and Hub facilities.