ziaulislam
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Are you all smoking something?
Does any of you have an iota of sense when you talk about economics?
Not even one post is about economic analysis. Everybody is beating about the bush and copy-pasting cynical political sound bites in Economics section.
Why would exports grow?
1. Balance of payments means the GOP has to prioritize exports. The big hurdle was lack of consistent supply of electricity. Another was lack of Sales tax refunds. GOP stands to gain more from subsidizing export business than from taking more loans. Lately there has been some movement in this regard. Let us see.
2. Forex rates are pointing towards significant devaluation of local currency (again due to balance of payments). This always results in improvement in exports. When there is more money to be made from exports, business investment would make sure that it happens. This is automatic. GOP does not necessarily need to do something apart from ensuring that credit is available to exporting businesses. Typically industries like garments stitching (a major export earner) require relatively little investment and training of workforce to avail the opportunities.
3. Business investment opportunities would follow the direction to which evolution of economy points. If there is money to be made in Pakistan, funds will flow accordingly.
4. Cynicism never did anyone any good. Good business people are not cynics, but hard-nosed practical people who can sense opportunities. So cynics can continue being cynics and people who actually get stuff done would disregard them and get stuff done!
5. The only barrier to growth, like I have often said on this forum, is limited availability of quality human resources. However, in Textile sector (our chief export earner) one does not necessarily need highly trained and skilled workforce.
People talking about reform probably want the GOP to handle issues such as power theft, line losses, & dealing with state-owned-enterprises which are a constant drain on taxes and resources. When the opposition is bent on raising hell and conducting non-stop dharna politics, who can tackle these problems? Interior Sindh, rural KP, & parts of Balochistan are not exactly fond of paying electricity bills. Who will make them pay? PTI? PPP? Many drives for collection end in burning of grid stations by people who do not want to pay their bills. I have yet to see clear and sustained efforts by the respective provincial governments in this regard. And yet the blame falls on federal government.
The loss making state owned enterprises are chock full of political cadres: PPP & MQM in case of steel mills; PPP in case of PIA; ANP in case of Pakistan Railways. Any effort at privatizing Steel Mills or PIA results in opposition uniting to defy the initiative. With all sorts of instability plaguing the federation, would-be economists want the federal government to take the blame for lack of effort. Sirs, this is not lack of effort, but lack of cohesion, unity, and coherence, combined with lust for political advantage by any means available.
I dare any of the cynics on this thread to tell me that any of what I have described is wrong.
exactly, govt main problem was complete lack of regard for balance of payment problem, lack of refunds to textile, still charging taxation on export sector(which for example china doesn't) and still charge surcharge on electricity on exporters(which is unfair, charge domestic users), was protecting the rupee when similar currencies like India rupee fell more than 15% in same period..
power sector performed better but exports didnt pick up because of the above, they will pick up now, new team is way better than IShaq Dar team who simply focused only on GDP growth and tax revenues(under probably IMF pressure)
look... opposition is going to oppose everything its job of govt to do the right thing, especially when its this popular(not a coalition but single party), it took loans from IMF but IMF made it easier so it avoid any reforms in PIA, steel mills etc...result is it lost multiple cheaper loans...
now Pakistan might go back to IMF with harsher terms, that will hurt the growth due to austerity measures, i think this was mis opportunity by the govt on PIA, steel mills etc
on external front , govt lost many cheap loans from WB, AB due to poor /unsatisfactory performance on some projects
ANP since when is opposing railway privatization?, anyway its very small non significant party!
but one has to ask how much electricity do rural areas use, answer is less than 500MW
there is more loss at generation..
when it comes to power sector govt must
1. bring private investment via privatizing distribution companies
2. bring more investment via performing better on AB/WB projects
3. Get rid of furnace oil older plants
4. add cheaper hydro plants in long run
5. than think of curtailing losses t rural areas
you do know that PIA liabilities have touched 4.4 billion dollars alone and circular debt at 800 billion rupees not even 1/10 of this is due to losses at rural areas