"Our bets on CPEC may not necessarily pay off " : Abdullah Ansari

[Clutch]

 

[PDFChamp]

CPEC is a trade route. If trade routes can turn the tables for nations, Egypt would have been the world’s biggest power as it controls the Suez Canal which alone generates billions of dollars in revenue. The world is run by those who use that route – not by those who collect the toll tax.

Writer of this opinion piece must be asleep for the past 2 years...CPEC is not just a "trade route":

1. By closing the power gap, we can stop the hemorrhaging of export industries such as textile and manufacturing. (Pakistan textile industry lost 600,000 jobs in the last three years due to lack of power to run the machines).

2. In addition, road networks and PR will connect the country and increase exchange of products and people; leading to more development.

3. SEZ will be setup across Pakistan for FDI.

Did Egypt get this level of infrastructure in the interior of the country or just the Suez Canal, outside of it?

 

[Dr. Abdul Basit]

It is a fact that the projection of CPEC depicted is that it will change everything upside down. However I would believe it and appreciate when the impact is visible on common man in both the countries especially in Pakistan and not just the elite class getting further richer. Which god forbid if happens would bring no prosperity rather would bring more distress and frustration which leads to "you know what". And as a democracy we at supposed to ask our planners/rulers that how is that going to happen and how do they plan to benefit common man from this as they claim. Which is in fact accountability a word and a subject no longer valid in our country.

 

[Meengla]

Writer of this opinion piece must be asleep for the past 2 years...CPEC is not just a "trade route":

1. By closing the power gap, we can stop the hemorrhaging of export industries such as textile and manufacturing. (Pakistan textile industry lost 600,000 jobs in the last three years due to lack of power to run the machines).

2. In addition, road networks and PR will connect the country and increase exchange of products and people; leading to more development.

3. SEZ will be setup across Pakistan for FDI.

Did Egypt get this level of infrastructure in the interior of the country or just the Suez Canal, outside of it?

Yes.
I don't see CPEC bad at all so long as Pakistani ecology, local industries is not destroyed and the eventual debt/loan payment is not too much.

Pakistan was in a stagnation from 2008-2013 under the worst performing govt in Pakistan's history--the Zardari govt. CPEC promises to break the stagnation on the back of a rapid improvement in security situation.

There are always 'naysayers' about big projects. Pretty sure the Channel Tunnel between England-France, the Transcontinental train in America, the 3 Gorges Project in China and similar projects had their naysayers. But they have proved their worth.

The worst thing is stagnation. As we say in Urdu: "Harkat me Barkat" (There is blessing in movements)

 

[Wen Ling]

Our bets on CPEC may not necessarily pay off

In Pakistan, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been trending for a few months. Like ‘Brexit’, CPEC is also a big step. Hence, any news related to CPEC spreads like fire. If you are attending an intellectual gathering, be up-to-date with the project. I’ve observed that CPEC is a hot topic at these get-togethers.

There’s no doubt that CPEC is important for Pakistan and it plays a pivotal role in regional politics, but it has been blown out of proportion thanks to print and electronic media. It seems that clock manufacturers in Switzerland are more concerned about CPEC than the precision of their clocks. And drug dealers in Mexico are planning to relocate their businesses to Gilgit-Baltistan so they can benefit from the project. Everything that happens or does not happen, all relies on CPEC.

Our regime uses this hysteria-type approach for a reason; it provides them a lollypop that can be fed to the masses for all the right and wrong reasons. For example, Balochistan has experienced the worst terrorist activities in recent months, and the government’s main point of discussion seems to remain CPEC – that too in this regard. It looks like all the enemies of Pakistan are targeting Balochistan only to destroy CPEC. CPEC-hysteria has aggravated to such intensity that we’ve failed to realise the obvious – was Balochistan peaceful before CPEC was initiated?

Another senseless claim made by the government is how CPEC is a ‘game-changer’ for the poor, deprived and neglected people of Balochistan. It seems that episodes of natural gas exploration from Sui and Reko Diq mine are on repeat telecast, which were also declared as ‘fortune-turners’ for the largest province of Pakistan.

Years – in fact, decades – have passed and the living conditions of the local people are getting worse day by day. In my opinion, CPEC will be yet another addition to this list of game-changers that have brought nothing but loot and plunder for the people of Balochistan. You may call me the promoter of provincial disharmony, but it’s a brute fact that Balochistan has always been treated as an unimportant, trivial and sometimes, unwanted part of Pakistan.

Keeping all pessimistic analysis aside, even if I look ahead with the hope of the CPEC dream coming true, I do not see Pakistan becoming a regional leader. CPEC is actually designed by China, for China. It will use Pakistan as a pathway to increase its access to global markets. The local industry of Pakistan will face a huge blow which, in current condition, will prove fatal. Cheap products from China have already elbowed out local products from almost every household. I still remember the Picasso ball point pen from Shahsons that became an instant hit and its tick-tock sound was everywhere. A few years down the line, you barely see it being used as Chinese pens are now available at less than half the price. Local entrepreneurs do not stand a chance at competing with an economy-of-scale manufacturer like China. With CPEC, China can access all of Pakistan, resulting in Chinese goods becoming even cheaper.


CPEC is a trade route. If trade routes can turn the tables for nations, Egypt would have been the world’s biggest power as it controls the Suez Canal which alone generates billions of dollars in revenue. The world is run by those who use that route – not by those who collect the toll tax.

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/43475/our-bets-on-cpec-may-not-necessarily-pay-off/

Any trade route is important, if you trace back to history of vicissitudes of world power history. It is the capability to use the route that make a difference. When you have the routes, design industrial distribution, get investment for factories, educate your people ready for eligible industrial labor, learn how to run a industrial country, and accumulate the capitals. You can only do all of these when you have a good infrastructure, routes is part of it.
The argument that Chinese product will flush the market is false. If you cannot produce those product by yourself, you always has to import. When you have build up the factory, the labors will become consumers, then you can produce to fill both the old and new markets that created by the labor income.

This is in general a very poor argument.

Say, if you do not have CPEC, where do you want to go? back to stone age? then you do not need to import anything, and market will be fully protected. Markets and wealth will evolve when you have the infrastructure!
Yes, China do CPEC for itself, but does it only benefit itself?
Based on the arguments of this gentle, you will need a god that give you 46 billions dollars.

 

[Mrc]

This must be authentic for people living in mindsets where ballpoint pens and pencil erasers are used to predict economics, weather conditions and check virginity

 

[Wen Ling]

agreed, moron keyboard jokeys

 

[PakGuns]

The security cost is too much.... China should be paying those expenses also..

 

[Kaniska]

Again, keeping side the rants, CPEC provides the platform and oppertunity to the host nations to utlize it effectively..Now if Pakistan Army and its Gov mess up the project, then it is not the fault of Chines investor rather, it is the Pakistan by itself...At the end of the day, China is not giving any free money to any one...

So Pakistan Army and Gov has to pull up its sleeves, and make sure, to execute the project as per the recommendation of the China and its engineers. If you guys will play your regional politics, then it will impact the project...

 

[cocomo]

Its funny that its a blog on Pakistani News website and instead of critiquing the piece you are moaning that an Indian posted it .

That is important because India has an agenda to destabilize Pakistan, keep it poor and disintegrate Pakistan. That is why Indians cannot be trusted.

 

[kṣamā]

To be honest I really want CPEC to succeed. Many things have been going South for Pakistan economically. You guys need a boost. And a successful CPEC is also in India's favor. This will remind our neighbours the price of peace. Then they might come out of the vicious cycle of terroism, make a clean good name for themselves in world view and maybe, just maybe we guys can get over the animosity.
God can you guys imagine where asian countries could have europian style borders..
. You really could have Breakfast at lahore. Ride the whole way, experience the regional views through the visor or windscreen and end the trip with dinner at Jaiselmer. Lets hope we still have sane minds on both the sides of the imaginary line on the ground. Best of luck.

. It seems that clock manufacturers in Switzerland are more concerned about CPEC than the precision of their clocks. And drug dealers in Mexico are planning to relocate their businesses to Gilgit-Baltistan so they can benefit from the project. Everything that happens or does not happen, all relies on CPEC.

Let's be honest few ppl would seriously take this sarcasm seriously.

 

[I S I]

agreed, moron keyboard jokeys

Agree, considering that this 46Billion dollar amount will not be a freebie but it's a loan on a hefty markup so they(China) should atleast fund security cost.

 

[I S I]

Your cabinet already decided that every electricity consumer of the country will bear the cost for the security of CPEC.. Already one percentage of capital cost of all CPEC projects are increased for security.. It will increase in future.. The tariffs will be high..

Ok but why're you so worried?

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

What has India to do with ?

 

[That Guy]

Every project has its risks, but the amount of cynicism by the author is only filled with half truths. Don't just look at the bad, look at the good as well. Numbers do not lie.