Are Local Interests a threat to Economic Development and CPEC?

[FuturePAF]

Are powerful local and national interests fighting reforms so much so that they will be the death nail for national development and CPEC?

While it is perfectly reasonable long term investors and businessmen have a right to have their voices heard in the future of the nation, but using that influence to prevent reforms may drive away investors who will have to be given more and more concessions to come to Pakistan, hurting Pakistan in the long run. This is more than just political parties but local elites in each and every corner of the nation.

Does the nation need a committee in the parliament, made up of the main 3 political parties and the military to sit down with key investors, especially the Chinese so that we don't let local business and worker unions drive off investors. A prosperous Pakistan would give all stakeholders room to share in the prosperity.

If the other parties won't see sense, then the future of de-investment (or at least no further investment) in their political controlled regions can also be layout out on the table.

P.S. This is not limited to economics, but all people's who break the law. the law needs to be clear, and enforces quickly and thoroughly.
This story of A doctor infecting 90 Children with HIV has my blood boiling.
The lack of proper education may have prevented at least some of these cases.
I hope this doctor gets the death penalty and soon.
https://arynews.tv/en/157-test-positive-hiv-sindh/

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Are powerful local and national interests fighting reforms so much so that they will be the death nail for national development and CPEC?

While it is perfectly reasonable long term investors and businessmen have a right to have their voices heard in the future of the nation, but using that influence to prevent reforms may drive away investors who will have to be given more and more concessions to come to Pakistan, hurting Pakistan in the long run. This is more than just political parties but local elites in each and every corner of the nation.

Does the nation need a committee in the parliament, made up of the main 3 political parties and the military to sit down with key investors, especially the Chinese so that we don't let local business and worker unions drive off investors. A prosperous Pakistan would give all stakeholders room to share in the prosperity.

If the other parties won't see sense, then the future of de-investment (or at least no further investment) in their political controlled regions can also be layout out on the table.

I agree with your assertion the economy is a matter of concern for all of us. Collective wisdom and national coherence is the need of the hour instead of the current SOLO flight,which is the recipe for a disaster.

 

[FuturePAF]

I agree with your assertion the economy is a matter of concern for all of us. Collective wisdom and national coherence is the need of the hour instead of the current SOLO flight,which is the recipe for a disaster.

Thank You
A vibrant democracy can keep a check on any one party stepping out of bounds, but our democracy seems to be fighting for power to get the lions share of the tattered economy we have been forced to live with. Our GDP Per capita is now HALF of India's. We can turn this around, but our parties need to enforce the rules and think of the nation before their party affiliations.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Read this members post. He perfectly highlights the problem in Pakistan. We have a politcal economy that is distorted and disproportionaly spread. The vested interests will do everything to prevent change. As long as this persists Pakistan will remain where it is now. Ask yourself this simple question. Is PDF even remotely representative of the 210 million peoples of Pakistan. Economic capture creates skewed representation and this can be even seen on PDF. Are people prepared to let the state create harmony in the national spread of economic representation?

Totally agree with you on this, some groups are just disproportionately represented even on this forum, take for example my area Gujranwala division, it has around 17 million population and how many are active posters here on this forum, literally very few. On the other hand Karachi also has the similar amount of population but I have noticed from the history of this forum that no less than 50% of the pakistani posters on this forum on any topic have always been Karachites or expats having roots from Karachi. Actually not just on this forum even all the pakistani forums that exist on the net the situation is the same, this even applies to the commentators under the articles of newspapers's online editions. I don't say it is bad, I just feel that 80% of Pakistanis somehow are not represented on the discussions taking place on these forums, the reason for it probably is that people belonging to our regions have not much interest in political discussions but even those who do have interest probably lack expressing themselves in English language and hence are mostly absent from these english language pakistani online forums and newspaper comment sections.

@Simurgh

 

[FuturePAF]

Read this members post. He perfectly highlights the problem in Pakistan. We have a politcal economy that is distorted and disproportionaly spread. The vested interests will do everything to prevent change. As long as this persists Pakistan will remain where it is now. Ask yourself this simple question. Is PDF even remotely representative of the 210 million peoples of Pakistan. Economic capture creates skewed representation and this can be even seen on PDF. Are people prepared to let the state create harmony in the national spread of economic representation?



@Simurgh

Frankly I would be fine with that. The reason being that there are human resources and natural resource spread throughout the country. Holding all resources in a few major cities prevents economic growth as quickly as possible.

I am personally from Multan. I didn't initially support a South Punjab province but do so now after a few years of weighing the pros and cons on the basis of equitably distribution of resources, and the synergy of spread money in many smaller projects then a few large ones, with a few exceptions. A project I support would be expanding the Multan Dry Port to bring freight via trucks to and from the Railways Main line 1. This would speed up products to market, and reduce the shipping costs, while increasing business for Multan based suppliers and workers. Each major stop allow the train route can do the same, and hold enough non-perishable freight until there is a full train load to transport.

The limiting factor is good governance by local authorities. to protect against graft and corruption a NAB team of investigators and lawyers (some uncover) should be tied to each locality to keep an eye on each district of the nation, but in general, I agree more of a platform needs to be given to each locality. But some localities will try to prevent their people from becoming educated, or get vaccinated, or some other national program. In that case, after it has been agreed upon in parliament, the national programs need to be implemented over the objections of local authorities, under the supervision of NAB.

I look at the German model of different regions developing and competing, so maximize economic growth. Pakistan should adopt a lot from the German Model. Local control, but the nation spending to help the rest of the nation catch-up, like West Germany paying to modernize East Germany, even now, 30 years after the wall fell.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

I am personally from Multan

Salam., not met many people from Multan. I know your city has some incredible history. For a start you guys gave Alexander the Great a good thumping and almost killed the conquerer of most of Eurasia. And then you have that fantastic tomb with it's incredible world beating design. You guys need to market it as such. The "city that chastized Alexander the Great".

 

[FuturePAF]

Salam., not met many people from Multan. I know your city has some incredible history. For a start you guys gave Alexander the Great a good thumping and almost killed the conquerer of most of Eurasia. And then you have that fantastic tomb with it's incredible world beating design. You guys need to market it as such. The "city that chastized Alexander the Great".

Thanks. Multan definitely has a great history. With proper management and equitable distribution of resources the talents of the people their can be brought out. With a Metro bus system, and located only a few hours from Fort Munro (potentially as a second "Murree") it could definitely become the hub of Central Pakistan's tourism industry. Daily historical re-enactments could draw tourists from all over the world to watch how and where battle were fought. We need to learn how to market history from the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Turks, the European renaissance fair festivals.

It all comes back to a grand national vision, and the resources distributed to localities under NAB supervision, to develop these industries that can do more than just a few big projects in the major cities. We need to be a Startup nation, and give seed money/venture capital funding to these projects.

 

[khansaheeb]

The solution is to take the CPEC model and scale it down for local development. We need a CPEC micro for local economic development for bootstrapping less developed areas into spiraling economic hubs.

 

[nahtanbob]

Does the nation need a committee in the parliament, made up of the main 3 political parties and the military to sit down with key investors, especially the Chinese so that we don't let local business and worker unions drive off investors. A prosperous Pakistan would give all stakeholders room to share in the prosperity.

I think it is a great idea to have a committee of all stakeholders to reassure investors.
assuming it works

 

[FuturePAF]

I think it is a great idea to have a committee of all stakeholders to reassure investors.
assuming it works

At the very least, the investors can face the stakeholders at the table and know which districts they will get support and where they wont. If an AOC (alexandria ocasio-cortez) type person pop-ups, then they know that's not a investment friendly place. The politicians need to know serving the people is the name of the game. the days of ruling little fiefdoms within Pakistan are over. If they can't deliver, and another district wins investment, then their people know who to blame. The lack of jobs will hopefully expose these crooked politicians is a tangible way for their constituents to see.

The solution is to take the CPEC model and scale it down for local development. We need a CPEC micro for local economic development for bootstrapping less developed areas into spiraling economic hubs.

They just announced Chinese investments in any part of Pakistan will be like micro- Chinese SEZs. I hope the Chinese layout what they need each region to do, to win the investment.