Reform or perish
From the Blog Farrukh Khan Pitafi: Reform or perish - The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) indeed has its own way of handling economic affairs. There is no gainsaying that the state of governance is hardly laudable today. Mistakes upon mistakes have been committed. Decisions taken and then reversed in haste under duress and the price hike coupled with the tough steps taken for macro-economic stabilisation has made life difficult for the average consumer. But there is something surreal about the way it manages to connect with its hardcore voters in the lowest stratum of society. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) continues unabated. Likewise, no matter what you say about the Watan Card, that too has made an impact. Also the recent reinstatement of the thousands of sacked government employees and the decision to give a 10 percent stake to the workers of each public enterprise will not go unrewarded. Can something equally good be in store for the middle class? It is generally agreed that the PPP-led government will keep dragging its feet until the last year of its tenure and in the last year it may try to surprise us with some good developments. Is it possible though? If truth be told, it all depends on the direction and the momentum of government policies. If the direction is correct, we may one day find a solution. But the problem is that the government frankly does not seem to have a clue about a coherent policy direction. Reason? Too many cooks with totally divergent orientation and outlook. Pray, tell me, how can you reconcile Babar Awan's worldview with Rehman Malik's or Shah Mahmood Qureshi's or Hafeez Sheikh's outlook. It is awfully cruel on people like say Fauzia Wahab, Faisal Raza Abidi and Sharmila Farooqi to make them fight for policies that nobody can ascertain. The middle class, it must be noted here, has totally been marginalised. There is evidently no new job creation. No concession in the interest rate. The governance-related issues have badly affected the price control mechanism. With rising prices, natural and political disasters and compromised purchasing power, the middle class most likely is under great pressure. Many contend that it is not demand-pull inflation but cost-push in nature. And yet we keep increasing the interest rate under the illusion that it can be controlled through such means. Subsidies of course have to be withdrawn and we cannot afford to remove the petroleum development levy. But at least we can work to ensure that in the coming days the government is better prepared to fight the problems inadvertently caused by its own policy confusion. Not sure about the policy confusion? Consider the fact that the government has not yet completed three years in office and yet we have the third finance minister in office. And yet when we hear that the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had to be cut by 46 percent, any hope of a better tomorrow comes to a standstill. One hoped that once the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) was enforced and Pakistan managed to restore its credibility with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government would have some time to introduce a stimulus package. However, the kind of politicking witnessed recently on the RGST 2010 Bill makes abundantly clear that no one in our political circuit is serious about the national interest. And the saddest part is that some of the government's own office bearers are not serious in clearing the first step needed to put the house in order. Let us face it dear reader, you did not go to the IMF for the current standby arrangement and nor did I. It was this government under the second finance minister, Shaukat Tareen. The terms of reference we keep bickering about were also developed as a result of the government's own proposals. Today any foot-dragging, hence, is beyond my comprehension. And I do not understand what the point is in claiming that the IMF is our enemy and a conspirator. For all I know, the Fund is the only friend of democratic Pakistan apart from the US that comes to our rescue whenever we are stranded. Again the current finance minister was not appointed by any of us. Before his appointment, it was my heartfelt desire to see the PML-N rejoining the cabinet and helping steer the economy. But the moment the minister was appointed I knew that here was a man who understood our plight and could manage things better than his predecessors. But who appointed him? The very government. Now tell me, is it fair for some in the government to feel threatened by his presence and try to block everything constructive he can do? I think not. With every passing day our situation is worsening. And yet I do not find the will of the government in resolving these critical issues. Let me submit here that, despite various complicated dimensions, the prime minister is a very effective consensus builder. He indeed enjoys very good relations with most of the party heads. If he wishes to put his weight behind any reform bill, it is bound to get parliament's approval. But somehow the prime minister seems to be lacking interest in the matter. It can be a failure of the finance ministry to sell the idea to him or an issue of perception on his part. But there surely is something wrong with the issue. I refuse to believe that if the prime minister wants to convince Mian Nawaz Sharif and Altaf Bhai on the matter, he can fail. No Rehman Malik, no Babar Awan and, of course, no finance ministry can do it alone. The prime minister's good relations with the media can also help in this regard. One, however, wishes that once Pakistan manages to win back the IMF's trust, the finance ministry and the State Bank would try to buy back some critical breathing space so that the interest rate could be lowered and exchange rate stabilised. Similarly, one expects from the finance ministry to work on a stimulus plan that can help revive growth and make life easier for the middle class. If these reforms are not given a serious thought, we are doomed and so is the government. Without a coherent direction and policy momentum, how can it not be? Click here to view the original. . Read Full Post
CHRISTOPHER BURCH
From the Blog The word of awahid: CHRISTOPHER BURCH - View more at Peanut Soup Deluxe. . Read Full Post
How to make iPad More Friendly with WordPress?
From the Blog The word of awahid: How to make iPad More Friendly with WordPress? - Another product from Apple OS developers known as iPad captures hearts and souls of active users and pro tech customers who choose an active lifestyle and that is why choose iPad as one of the options for getting constant and relatively portable device which can be taken whenever its owner wishes to take it. However, iPad plugins and applications are still in high demand because not all blogging and CMS based platforms have already launched their own applications and plugins … . Read Full Post
In the thickness of fog
From the Blog Mosharraf Zaidi: In the thickness of fog - http://thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=23802&Cat=9 Tuesday, January 4, 2011 By the time Pakistanis fell asleep on Sunday night, having been serenaded by the hysteria emanating from the MQM's departure from the national government, a dense fog was busy enveloping itself right around Islamabad. Mother Nature moves in mysterious ways, and by Monday morning, the fog was so thick that low visibility . Read Full Post
4 January, 2011 10:26
From the Blog thenadeemmalik - > 4 January, 2011 10:26 islamabadtonight.spaces.live.com — v http://www.awaztoday.com/programmes.asp?pageId=25 ISLAMABAD TONIGHT WITH NADEEM MALIK 03-01-2011 TOPIC- POLITICAL TURMOIL GUESTS- IMRAN KHAN, AETZAZ AHSAN, KHAWAJA ASIF Imran Khan of PTI said that the only way to pull Pakistan out of political turmoil is fresh free and fair... . Read Full Post
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