Policies, but little policy action

Policies play a crucial role in economic development. Yet, and despite a torrent of policies framed in Pakistan, plans have done little to spur economic growth.
Each new government steps in with a set of upbeat plans; almost just as last two years saw a flux of policies, from education to trade, highlighting elusive goals and painting a rosy picture of the future.
And now, an all new industrial policy is in the offing, with the draft document focusing on what the government should do to enrich the manufacturing sector, spanning almost every industry, such as steel, fertilizer, chemical, auto, and pharmaceutical etc.
If history is any guide, it is ironic, that written goals rarely materialize. This can be gauged from the fact that in the presence of ambitious policies, Pakistan has been performing poor on competitiveness scale, ranked 101 out of 133 countries in the latest Global Competitiveness Index.
Failure occurs not just as a result of poor policy making; it happens when the policy is not implemented as intended. Absence of policy actions and effective implementation is the prime reason for tepid economic growth in Pakistan.
Instead of wasting time on revising policies, policy markers should chalk out plan to improve basic facilities, such as infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for industrial growth. Besides, policies should
t just elaborate what the government should do but also how to do it - i.e. the policies should point out the implementation mechanism.
In most cases, goals rarely match the governments capability and will. On top of that, non-availability of resources further makes target a taller order. The most problematic factors for doing business in Pakistan are government and policy instability and corruption, which lead to poor infrastructure, crime and low level of human resource development.
To make implementation successful, it is vital to match development timeframe with political timeframe and stamp out corruption. And, to make rational policy and improve its implementation, successful, it is pertinent to improve coordination between all government bodies and stakeholders from industry.