What’s Pakistan’s fiscal problem?
Pakistan's provinces where much of the welfare and infrastructure lies are all running balanced budget as required by the constitution - thank the Almighty. The federal government has obligations to…
Privatisation: the right way
For countries like Pakistan, the privatisation argument is mostly based on two elements. First, the fiscal argument that governments improve their financial positions by selling public business enterprises. Second, that…
The energy challenge
OVERCOMING Pakistan`s energy crisis has been proclaimed as the highest priority by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s government. The recommendations issued by the Pakistan Visionary Forum`s energy experts at their Lahore…
Politics of plots and perks
The ruling elites of Pakistan - military-judiciary-civil complex, businessmen-turned-politicians and absentee land owners - are responsible for the present economic mess, that has pushed the country into a deadly debt…
Belling the cat
FORGET for whom the bell tolls. We already know: for all of us. More pertinent: who will bell the cat? Pasha`s testimony before the OBL commission has simplified matters. The…
Predictable programme
So the inevitable has transpired. Heralded by some chestthumping theatrics on `negotiating only on our terms` we have signed our 20th IMF programme since the late 1950s. Although the IMF…
Wearing the hat
“I have a hat. It is graceful and gives me a certain dignity...Someday I may get up enough courage to wear it, instead of carrying it.” – Erma Bombeck Over…
A meaningless monetary policy
In all well-managed economies, monetary policy plays a key role in ensuring relative price stability, balance of payments viability, economic growth and employment generation. In fact, in the recent past,…
IMF follies in Pakistan
The IMF has been actively involved with Pakistan since the 1980s – with short intervals of temporary disengagement. During this period, Pakistan availed itself of the IMF’s balance of payments…
Managing energy
Prof James Trevelyan has rightly pointed in his article, ‘Pakistan has a bright energy future’ (May 31), that Pakistan can overcome its energy issues by rethinking its electricity distribution. I…
