Government accused of taking decisions to favour some, hurting others

A member of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's Cabinet has accused the government of taking every decision in favour of some people, and hurting the interests of others. These remarks came at a time when the government is already facing multibillion rupees corruption scandals, including rental power plants (RPPs) and Hajj scandal.
Official documents available with Business Recorder show that the Ministry of Commerce informed the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in its meeting on October 13, 2011 that commercial export of live animals, banned in 2004, was conditionally allowed by the ECC of the Cabinet on December 2, 2008.
The decision was further revised by ECC on March 3, 2009, when Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development was authorised to determine the surplus of live animals to be allowed for export as per procedure and conditions laid down by that Ministry.
It was intimated that approximately 1.5 million animals were killed due to the devastating floods in the country last year. The Ministry of Commerce, considering the likely adverse effects of floods on livestock, both for human consumption and as raw material for export products, placed a summary before the ECC of the Cabinet proposing imposition of a ban on export of live animals, which was turned down by the ECC of the Cabinet in its meeting on October 15, 2010.
The ECC was further informed that the prices of mutton and beef had increased in the domestic market from Rs 271 per kg to Rs 406 per kg (63.5 percent) and Rs 154 per kg to Rs 214 per kg (53.5 percent) during the period from 2008-09 to 2010-11 respectively.
Besides, there has been acute shortage of raw material (livestock) for value-added leather products in Pakistan and, resultantly, the price was increasing exorbitantly, which had made export of leather products unprofitable. And if the situation prevailed, Pakistan's major exports of finished leather and value-added leather products would decrease substantially. Hence, the Ministry of Commerce proposed a ban on export of live animals.
During the ensuing discussion, it was stated that no procedure had been laid down for export of live animals. The export is not subject to any licence or No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the government. Only a quarantine certificate, which is normally misused, is required for exporting live animals. Besides, instead of farmers, the middleman was benefiting from the exports. It was also intimated that since the lifting of ban in March 2009, only 73,835 live animal were formally exported, while 2,500 live animals were being smuggled on daily basis.
"Every decision of the government goes in favour of some people, while it negatively impacts on others. Thus, a prudent decision needs to be taken," sources quoted the Minister as saying.
A senior official told Business Recorder that it was none other than the Finance Minister, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who is also the Chairman of the ECC, who made these remarks.
The ECC Chairman, however, argued that there was need for a thorough examination of the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Commerce. It was also observed that the provinces, which were the major stakeholders, had not been consulted. The meeting was further informed that the subject of live animals has been brought before the ECC for the fourth time since the present government's coming in office.
The documents say that the ECC had decided that the proposal should be re-examined holistically, in consultation with provinces and all stakeholders and re-submitted for its consideration. The revised summary must suggest an institutional framework to control smuggling of live animals from Pakistan, the ECC directed.