Ban cheese imports? Pakistan discusses outside-the-box ideas to avoid IMF bailout

[denel]

Why?

The point is these bureaucrats are taking so much pay and they come up with the idea of ban. Wow just wow what an idiot they are. These idiots will slow the economic growth and put many people out of business.
Instead of developing growth policies they come up with the idea of clamping down growth.
I have not seen such bullshit economists in my whole life.
The problem with Pakistan's economy is cheese lol.
These idiots need to understand we are the 3rd biggest produces of milk and they want to ban cheese. Why not produce more cheese?

Yes, I see just gross incompetence at play.

Proposal, let us be on the economic committee.... we will have better ideas and plans and provide free milk to the committee for gray cells

 

[maximuswarrior]

No evidence for that.





Because you want local industry to compete globally and not just in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad.

There is zero relevance between competing for exports and the need to address imbalance between import/export. What you propose makes no sense. Pakistan has to address the ludicrous imports. We are importing way too much and exporting very little. Also much of what we import can be easily catered by the local industry. No doubt PTI is going to aggressively address the imbalance and more power to them.

The solution is simple. Drastically cut on imports and start exporting. Both go hand in hand.

Stop being sour. The PML-N era is gone. There is no point in being demoralized. Join positivity.

 

[BHarwana]

Yes, I see just gross incompetence at play.

Proposal, let us be on the economic committee.... we will have better ideas and plans and provide free milk to the committee for gray cells

3 are gone 8 are left send home and we will have better economic situation. Seriously they come up with ban on cheese.
These idiot economists are doing bidding for companies and trying to help them over come competition through govt policy. A better solution is to make the dairy production licence easy and tell the packaging companies to facilitate every I.e so that more people enter the market. If you go to get a licence for dairy packaging company you will have to pay ton of bribes to get it.
Current producers of dairy are nestle and wiping Chinese competition for a Swiss for will solve the problem of Pakistani economy wow just wow. We are humans not mice that our economic problem is cheese.

Ban luxury vehicles and Toyota tundra will have free ride wtf. I can buy a refurbished Toyota suv in half the price what Toyota indus asks for tundra and I will get more features. Send this corrupt company bidding economic team home.

 

[maximuswarrior]

being part of WTO we have to be careful what we ban our exports are already struggling if gooras stop importing from us we are screwed!

I knew this would come up and you have a valid point. Well, they are already hurting Pakistan through sanctions and other means. It is not like we have a prosperous trading relationship with Western nations.

We need to play smartly. No country starts banning imports out of the blue. It happens out of necessity. Imports aren't a bad thing as long as they are managed properly. In fact, imports can also generate exports. They provide raw materials and good will among nations. It can serve as a political tool. We have never managed our imports. Western nations give an arm and a leg for exports. As an importer you have leverage.

We have massive loans. Thank Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and others for this marvelous feat. We need to pay the loans back. We won't be able to pay back and focus on our own economy by following the same path as the previous governments. Worse, it will collapse the volatile economy. Pakistan will have to cut on imports. There is no other way around it.

 

[ranawat]

Ban cosmetics item it is costing 30 percent of total imports.

 

[maximuswarrior]

I hope the wise people of the EAC are not ignoring the proverbial 800-lb gorilla of Pakistani imports - energy. Banning cheeses and cars may appear populist, but will not do anything substantive to the basic imbalance caused by a rising energy import bill and falling exports.

Take a good look at the top 5 imports:

View attachment 497829

Everything needs to be put under the microscope so to speak. Even a needle. If we can produce it at home or buy it cheaply elsewhere we don't need it. Simple equation. Time has come to review the current system. This should not be the usual gloss over project. The system is rotten and inefficient. There is absolutely no harm in reviewing the rotten system. The new government has a license to do so. From the big elephant in the room to the smallest needle in the haystack.

 

[Indrajit]

Pakistan’s exports to Thailand one-tenth of imports





KARACHI: Thailand, having a population of 68 million which was one-third the size of Pakistan’s, exports 10 times more compared to what it imports from Pakistan – one of many examples that have prompted some quarters to seek the announcement of an ‘export emergency’ in order to correct the country’s deteriorating current account balance.

Pakistan’s overall trade deficit in fiscal year 2017-18 stood at $37.7 billion with imports standing at a record $60.9 billion. The current account deficit swelled to $18 billion.

According to Trade Adviser to Thailand Ministry of Commerce Arif Suleman, the industry expects the two countries to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) next year.




“We are experiencing a wonderful period where Pakistan and Thailand are developing their relations and are working as close partners,” said Suleman on the opening day of a three-day Thai exhibition in Karachi.

However, Pakistan’s excessive imports from Thailand indicate that trade facilitation may further widen the deficit as exports from Thailand will grow rapidly.


According to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muffasar Atta Malik, imports from Thailand amounted to $1,400.36 million in calendar year 2017 against $1,008.45 million in the previous year, showing a significant increase of 38.8%.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s exports to the East Asian nation stood at a mere $148.32 million, although they were 24.4% higher from the preceding year when shipments were valued at $119.21 million.

Malik inaugurated the exhibition along with Royal Thai Consulate General Karachi Acting Consul General Khun Apipan Cheecharoen and Thai Trade Centre Dhaka Director Suebsak Dangboonrueng.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Malik acknowledged that an FTA between the two countries would increase trade deficit for Pakistan. But he added that if the government drafted the FTA intelligently, it would be beneficial for Pakistan as well.


“FTAs are signed to facilitate trade but if we are unable to produce tradable goods, then the fault lies with us, not trade,” he remarked. Malik stated that Pakistan should sign FTAs with countries where it was able to find markets for its products.

Pakistan exports yarn, fibre, chemicals, finished oil and cattle meat to Thailand. It imports auto parts from Thailand for local vehicle assembly.

“Thailand is good at producing auto parts but it can’t flood Pakistan with these products even if we sign the FTA because the production of auto spare parts will be increasing in the Special Economic Zones in Pakistan,” he said.

Malik was of the view that Pakistan’s current account deficit swelled because of import of capital goods for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, which would not remain the same in future.

Meanwhile, Cheecharoen highlighted the importance of Pakistan as a growing economy. “Pakistan with a population of around 200 million offers attractive opportunities to the investors globally,” he said.

“The population’s major segment comprises the youth and middle class which is the major attraction for international investors and makes it a major market in Asia.”

 

[Syed1.]

Good decision... only top 10% of Pakistan is in position to buy imported food items or expensive smartphones. Banning them will not impact the majority of the population but will immensely benefit our balance of payment.


Next we can lobby with global giants like Samsung to setup their cellphone manufacturing in Pakistan if they want to capture the market. Keep in mind we are a nation of 220 million, any company that manages to capture this market will make a windfall. That holds true for any sector.



Pakistan has so much potential, its just that Pakistanis themselves do not realize. Instead it is more important for them who is Muslim and non-Muslim.

 

[VCheng]

So if this is true:

Keep in mind we are a nation of 220 million, any company that manages to capture this market will make a windfall.

but then only 10% can afford to buy:

only top 10% of Pakistan is in position to buy imported food items or expensive smartphones.

Then isn't the real market only about 22 million?

 

[Syed1.]

So if this is true:



but then only 10% can afford to buy:



Then isn't the real market only about 22 million?

Samsung makes cellphones for all segment of market from cheap tacky ones to super high end. They make profit on all.

 

[VCheng]

Samsung makes cellphones for all segment of market from cheap tacky ones to super high end. They make profit on all.

So you want to woo foreign investors with "you will sell lots of cheap and tacky phones in a poor market" rather than "you will sell lots of expensive phones in a rich market"? Does that make sense?

 

[Syed1.]

So you want to woo foreign investors with "you will sell lots of cheap and tacky phones in a poor market" rather than "you will sell lots of expensive phones in a rich market"? Does that make sense?

Read my post again and it will start making sense.


If it still doesn't then try reading it a couple more times. Eventually you will understand.

 

[VCheng]

Read my post again and it will start making sense.


If it still doesn't then try reading it a couple more times. Eventually you will understand.

Right. Got it.

That is probably why no large scale investment by Samsung, or any other phone manufacturer is anywhere near the horizon.

 

[Syed1.]

Right. Got it.

That is probably why no large scale investment by Samsung, or any other phone manufacturer is anywhere near the horizon.

In your desperation to prove me wrong you didn't even read my original post and ended up looking like an idiot.


I clearly said we should lobby with giants like Samsung to setup manufacturing base in Pakistan to capture the market.

Right now every second person with a smartphone has a Huawei or Samsung phone in Pakistan but if import is stopped then this situation will change.

 

[VCheng]

In your desperation to prove me wrong you didn't even read my original post and ended up looking like an idiot.


I clearly said we should lobby with giants like Samsung to setup manufacturing base in Pakistan to capture the market.

Right now every second person with a smartphone has a Huawei or Samsung phone in Pakistan but if import is stopped then this situation will change.

So is it better to woo foreign investors with "you will sell lots of cheap and tacky phones in a poor market" rather than "you will sell lots of expensive phones in a rich market"?

If import is stopped, all that will happen is increased smuggling.