Protectionism vs productivity
Pakistan has the world’s seventh-most protected economy. The country’s inward oriented trade policies have served as a substantial roadblock to integration in regional and global value chains. This is evidenced…
Labour laws and productivity
Labour laws should also spotlight on productivity rather than the dampening effects of archaic laws from the times of Industrial Revolution that have hampered rather than promoted productivity. Labour laws…
After capitalism
AS the beast of capitalism continues to pile misery on us, the search for alternatives has gained impetus even as the beast bellows, getting back to its feet after its…
Human Capital Report 2017
Pakistan has been ranked almost at the bottom (125) of a list of 130 that were tested against four key areas of human capital development; Capacity, largely determined by past…
Social capital
WHY do some states progress rapidly while others like Pakistan stagnate? The role of natural, physical, financial and human capital in this regard is clear. However, many analysts assign a…
Partly Facetious: Complete traffic mayhem in capital
"It's now the second week I reckon of complete, and let me emphasize this, complete traffic mayhem in the capital city." "Did you hear the joke about the capital city?"…
Rising crony capitalism
Usually, entrepreneurs invest their energy, ideas and money to increase the quality of the products they produce, higher knowledge-worker and thereby improve manufacturing process and increase productivity. But at some…
Capitalism in dire crisis?
After having remained in a state of denial since the 2007-08 financial crisis that world had reached almost the dead-end of capitalism, its proponents have begun debating alternatives. New literature…
Productivity challenge
After an officially-sanctioned five-day Eid break, workplaces in much of Pakistan are still partially deserted. It is accepted that work will resume at normal pace from the start of next…
The human capital debacle
The Population Association of Pakistan, in collaboration with the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), organised a two-day conference with the theme, ‘Population: New Realities and Challenges for Human…
