Adil Najam
(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series on Pakistan’s New Growth Startegy. The Planning Commission of Pakistan has invited ideas and suggestions on this and we invite and encourage our readers to please help in highlighting the best and most innovative ideas they can think of. Have your say.)
I have been planning to write this post for most of a month. I have kept postponing because more sensational and urgent “news” kept coming in the way and I did not want our readers’ attention so diverted on the immediate that they ignored the important. All of this to say two things: First, I believe that the topic of this post is truly and deeply important and I really do hope that our readers will think very deeply about this and give us their very best feedback and ideas on this. Second, I was wrong in my original assessment and should really not have waited – the sensational and the urgent are forever with us (especially in Pakistan) and should never distract us from the important. And, ‘important’ is what this post is about!
The Planning Commission of Pakistan – now headed by Dr. Nadeem ul Haque, an out-spoken economist; international economic policy expert; former head of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economists (PIDE); and a friend and erstwhile contributor to ATP – has embarked on a fresh and bold initiative to develop a new growth policy for Pakistan – a ‘New Development Approach.’ At a time when many of us (I certainly stand accused) are caught up in the politics of the moment and immediate concerns, here is a strong, timely and very welcome initiative to think long-term – beyond the dynamics of today’s politics or this government or that – about exactly what will get our economic house in order on a sustainable and long-term basis. What do we need to do today, that will make improve economic and developmental conditions tomorrow?
With a refreshing and energetic zeal, Dr. Nadeem ul Haque has been reaching out to all elements of the Pakistani intelligentsia – universities, business sector, independent experts, citizens, the public -to think about this question and to give the Planning Commission their inputs, their ideas, their critique, their suggestions. Dr. Haque has also reached out personally to us here at All Things Pakistan to contribute to this national dialogue and discussion on exactly what is needed in a national growth strategy for Pakistan, and a new development approach for our future. I have every reason to believe that this is not an empty gesture, but an honest and real desire on his part to get a serious dialogue going on the best ideas for a growth strategy for Pakistan. I would urge our readers to seriously avail of this opportunity and to share their ideas and suggestions on this issue. Not every idea, of course, can or should be implemented, but I have high confidence that in this case your ideas will be read heard, digested and have a real chance of influencing the final shape of the national growth strategy. For those of us who have long cribbed that no one listens to us, here is a real invitation to be heard. Let us not disappoint!
In December, while in Pakistan, I had the opportunity to participate and speak at an event organized on the new growth strategy at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) which included some of Pakistan’s leading economic scholars as well as university leaders from across Pakistan. A lot of the confidence you sense in the paragraphs above comes from that experience. It was heartening to see our economic policy makers making a serious and heartfelt effort at inviting debate and ideas. It was more heartening to see universities being viewed and treated with the respect than knowledge producers deserve in all societies. It was even more heartening to see a real discourse and a thirst for ideas and a discussion that did start looking at the long-term questions of national development in the serious intellectual and ideational perspectives. What I think was most heartening was the clear sense in that room that ideas matter. In many ways, that is what any strategy is about – a discourse on ideas and an attempt to hit at the right idea about what should happen.
A rather long introduction, I realize, to introduce this series of posts. At this point, I thought starting with the general idea of a ‘growth strategy’ is what would work best. We will have more specific posts later, but at this point, when you think of growth for Pakistan, what are the type of things that come to your mind? Remember, this is not making a wish list or throwing out cynical jugats. What are the most strategic investments in policy, in idea and in resources that can be made today that will put Pakistan on a path to growth.
That Pakistan is in an economic mess is not in question. It is also clear that a central part of any solution – maybe even the first step – has to be to curtail the inefficiencies and wastes in the system – in terms of corruption at all levels and in terms of waste and excess. However, while that is necessary, it will not be sufficient. Simply given the demographic realities of Pakistan, a real growth impetus will be necessary. If the corruption and waste continues, this growth will be further stymied. But, even if the corruption and waste was checked real and sustained growth will be needed. Where do you think it can come from? And how? That, in essence, is the strategic question.
The new development approach that Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haque and the Planning Commission have begun the discussion with is built on four pillars:
- Increase productivity – Through Innovation
- Create Competitive Conditions – Through Internal Markets
- Urban Management – Through Creative Cities
- Youth Engagement – Through Mobilizing the Energies of the Young
There is, of course, much more beneath each of these ‘motors’ of growth – productivity, competitiveness, urban management and youth engagement. More importantly, what are the mechanisms in policy of unleashing the potential in these areas? And what other areas might one think of (knowing that long laundry lists of litany are not what strategy is made of!).
We will share more of what the Planning Commission and others are thinking of on these. But, first, we thought we should ask you what you think!
Anyone can come up with a great plan. You need honest people at every level to implement it….. and thats where Pakistan’s problem lies. Therefore nothing will work.
Thank you.
Pakistan has an energy crises…Solar energy at all levels of businesses can help…small businesses as solar energy providers, larger business as manufacturers, importers and land owners with unusable farm land – use the land for solar electricity generation to sell it to the government – or to local businesses.
Government needs to give tax incentives and small loans to incentivize small businesses owners who are currently struggling.
First, a review of previous exercises in planning by the Government of Pakistan – several multi-year plans over nearly six decades of Pakistan’s existence – should be taken in hand to determine why they failed leaving Pakistan in the dire straits that it is in today. Unless we learn from our past mistakes we are bound to repeat them.
Second, no amount of planning will be of any use unless we first establish the rule of law, do something about literally boundless corruption and provide a minimally secure and orderly society.
Pakistan has a serious health disaster with almost 8 million people infected with Hepatitis C which will soon become a calamity as millions will get complications of cirrhosis of liver , bleeding , liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma .
This will remove a good number of productive citizens out of work force, financially ruin families because of expense of health care and overwelm rudimentary health care infrastructure.
The irony of this sad situation is that this is entirely a preventable infection .
The spending in preventive health care has to be increased many fold and the dividends of this investment is huge with a healthy workforce which is the critical element in the competitive world of tomorrow.
Below is a public awareness initiative APPNA is planning to work at, but an all out effort has to be made by all.
Hepatitis C (Hep C) poses an existential threat to Pakistani social infrastructure. This highly contagious infection will sap the energy of a large group of the working-age Pakistanis and will financially ruin the suffering families, numbering in millions.
At present, 6-8 % of the rural population and12-24 % of urban and suburban population is infected with Hepatitis C. Prevalent widespread unsafe healthcare practices are causing worsening of the Hepatitis C infection rate. Current estimates put around 18 million people having been exposed to Hep C and about 44 % of these individuals (8-9 million) are actively infected. In all metropolitan hospitals, almost half of the patients in medical wards are being admitted with complications of end-stage liver disease, such as cirrhosis of liver, bleeding esophageal varices or frank hepatic failure. Not unexpectedly, all medical facilities in Pakistan will soon be overwhelmed if this state of affairs continued.
The sad irony of this situation is that the Hep C epidemic is entirely preventable, is man made by negligent behavior of health care providers and an immoral and unlawful industry of reuse and repackaging of infected needles , transfusion of blood without adequate screening and recycling of hospital and clinic waste .
The use of infected and contaminated surgical and dental instruments and reuse of infected shaving blades by the barbers continue to infect unsuspecting victims.
The Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) is deeply concerned with this state of affairs and would like to assist concerned Pakistanis and the government to stem this challenge. APPNA would like to start a robust awareness campaign among the masses to help innocent and unsuspecting Pakistanis protect themselves from this potentially catastrophic epidemic.
APPNA would also like to facilitate a process to eliminate unscreened blood transfusion from medical establishments. APPNA will help initiate a certification program for blood banks that would follow prescribed operating procedures of international standards to help develop expected safety of blood products.
APPNA would also like to initiate a comprehensive educational program where medical providers, nurses and paramedics will be re-educated about safe usage of needles and sharp instruments, including effective sterilization and safe disposal. The educational campaign will also target barbers to help stop reusing infected blades and appropriate disposal of these blades.
The campaign will encourage hospitals and municipalities to ensure appropriate management of infected medical waste by establishing privately and or publicly supported medical waste businesses which use incinerators, autoclaves, medical shredders and deep burial techniques.
APPNA will work with legislators to pass laws to encourage safe disposal with appropriate remedies for non compliance.
The structure of the initiative is envisioned as follows:
Hepatitis C Initiative in Pakistan
Sponsoring Organization: Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA)
Chair of the initiative: Maqbool Arshad, MD
The task force will develop and execute the project and will raise necessary funds , hire staff , establish relationships with other individuals and organizations and sign the necessary contracts and M.O.Us as needed.
The initiative may hire a program director in Pakistan and coordinators .The coordinators will work on:
1.Mass public awareness campaign .( Reproducing Hepatitis C workbook in Urdu OASIS, Oakland CA, author : Dr Diana Salvastre )
Graphic designer Sara Ikram , Lahore, Pakistan ( Develop brochures and posters ),
Ulema project:educate masajid attendees about Hepatitis C and HIV
2. Educate medical providers how to protect patients from this epidemic. Guidelines for Hemodialysis Centres for Hepatitis C in progress.
Develop educational material for medical providers, “Teach the Teacher Program.”
3. Facilitate establishment of a commission to initiate a safe blood and blood products campaign by encouraging blood banks to adopt standard operating procedures and appropriate screening of the donors to eliminate blood borne viral transmission
MOST IMPORTANT: Please OPEN PAKISTAN MARKET TO THE WORLD… > Develop ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) & Mutual Funds as many as possible. And make them “easily” available for foreign potential investors.
This will not only help “diversify” Pakistan’s portfolio but also increase foreign stakes in Pakistan. Making Pakistan’s success important for the world.
Keep in mind that Pakistan (per World Bank rankings) is rated at # 1 (Yes # 1) in South Asia 2011, for the “ease of doing business” AND much ahead in the rankings than India.
Lastly the magic key = “Intelligent Design & Innovation”. Seek out the innovative brains and the Design Thinkers of Pakistan… They are the ones with sustainable solutions and the answers you seek…
cheers