One misperception attached to the power sector is how increasing the generation capacity will bring respite to the ailing sector. What many forget is that it is not about capacity enhancements or new power generation plants but the actual generation that has remained stagnant for so many years.
If Pakistan is to continue relying on remittances to support its current account imbalances, then increasing the quality of labour exported is of paramount importance. At least that’s what the reading is from a recent remittance report by the International Fund for Agriculture Development and the World Bank.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron announced last week that hi government plans to launch a state-backed mortgage financing scheme, with a view to provide homes and generate jobs.
Here in Pakistan, the Prime Minister in-waiting, Mian Nawaz Sharif appears to be considering the introduction of a similar programme.
Branchless banking (BB) service providers have taken solo flights thus far. Pakistan’s four-year old BB sector is currently dominated by banks and telcos that have relied on their own infrastructure and agent networks to penetrate this largely unbanked market. While banks have allowed their agent networks to serve customers of any telco, each telco has restricted its BB agents to serve only its subscribers.
Amongst the promises made by PML-N in their manifesto, increasing the investment-to-GDP ratio from the current 12 percent to 20 percent in five years; is what the future of shrinking foreign direct investment (FDI) hinges on.
With temperatures going up, the electricity loadshedding has gone up in tandem across the country. The riots have not begun just yet, but patience is running thin, especially in cities like Faisalabad, where the better part of the day is spent without power.
