By Aroosa Shaukat
LAHORE: The government might have
“significantly overstated” Punjab’s growth rate. This was revealed at the
launch of the fifth annual, The State of Economy: The Punjab Story,
report of the Institute of Public Policy at Beaconhouse National University on
Wednesday at the Lahore Grande. Institute of Public Policy Vice Chairman
and Dean of School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Dr Hafiz Ahmed Pasha
said Punjab’s economy had a slower growth rate over the past decade compared to
the rest of the country due to the scarcity of irrigation water and the energy
shortfall. He was speaking at the launch of the report.
Dr
Pasha said while the economy had done poorly throughout the country, Punjab had
done far worse. From 2002-03 to 2009-10, Dr Pasha said, the agricultural sector
in Punjab had only a 3 per cent growth rate as opposed to a 5 per cent growth
rate in the rest of the country.
Dr
Pasha said that from 2006-07 to 2009-2010, gas consumption had gone up by 14
per cent in the rest of the country but in the Punjab it had declined by 13 per
cent.
The
report states that there was a decline in “regional inequality” in all
districts of the province, the trend being most pronounced in provision of
social services. “Despite there being demands for a new province, the Punjab has
the least regional inequality amongst the provinces,” said Dr Pasha. However,
he said, a separate south Punjab province would be “food sufficient.”
The
report goes on to state that regional inequality had increased in terms of some
social indicators including secondary education, sanitation, health services
and water supply. The report says that with limited access to infrastructure
and social services districts in south Punjab are less developed, a phenomenon
termed a “classic North-South” divide by Dr Pasha.
Beaconhouse
National University Vice Chancellor Sartaj Aziz said long term projects in
hydel power should be taken up seriously to limit energy dependency on foreign
sources. Aziz said with the country entering the election year it was essential
that such reports be used to establish policy guidelines for the current as
well as the prospective government.
LUMS
pro-chancellor Syed Babar Ali said that over the past several years, the
country’s economic policy had never addressed the needs of the common man to
ensure his welfare. Ali said scholarly critique should be used by policy makers
to strengthen institutions. “Never put an inefficient person in charge of an
efficient person” said Ali.
Planning
and Development Department secretary Ali Tahir expressed dissatisfaction with
the “methodology” used in the compilation of the report. Tahir said that urban
development paved way for economic growth of any country and hence growth in
cities, like Lahore, Multan and the like, was of immense significance.
“The year
2012 promises to be yet another difficult year economically’, said Dr Aisha
Ghaus Pasha, the director of the Institute of Public Policy. Dr Pasha said
Pakistan, particularly for Punjab, would be facing a period of “great financial
difficulties.” She identified lack of political stability and shortage of
energy as hurdles in economic growth. She said there had been a growth in the
rural economy along with an increase in revenue collection showing the
‘resilience’ of the economy.
“Good
governance and zero tolerance for corruption will tackle the economic crisis in
the next 3 to 4 years,” said MNA Ahsan Iqbal. Iqbal said the debate about a new
province in Punjab should be set aside until there was greater stability adding
that a new province was bound to demand a new “NFC award and a water accord.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd,
2012.
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