25. 06. 18
Policymakers asked to notice the scarcity of water
Water scarcity becomes one of the biggest issues of Pakistan
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said our fertile lands are turning to the desert threatening survival of the populous country.
The water scarcity is taking a toll on agriculture, industry and the masses but policymakers have not realised the gravity of the situation, it said.
Everything is under threat as the country is becoming a desert with a rapid pace which will destroy all the developmental initiatives, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.
He said that migration, climate change, failure to manage water and Indian conspiracies have made Pakistan a water deficient country.
Once Pakistan was a water happy country but now per capita availability of water is well below 1000cubic meter but satisfactory steps were not taken to combat the threat.
The country has been facing a magnitude of problems but water scarcity has become one of the biggest issues which need immediate attention, he said.
Murtaza Mughal said that nation should think ahead of Kalabagh dam and press the government to construct small dams on a war footing to save masses, agriculture and industrial sector.
He said that the shortage of water is causing an adverse effect on the economy of the country, it has badly affected the agricultural sector.
The direct impact of water crisis has reduced crops, forest productivity and water level and it has increased livestock, wildlife and human being mortality rate.
The need of the hour is to focus on water development and water management to improve the situation of water scarcity.
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In: UncategorizedAuthor: pakistaneconomywatch
21. 06. 18
Project to boost production, revenue, and international image
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Wednesday said CPEC will make the bumpy road to country’s self-reliance smooth.
The journey will begin from self-reliance in the field of energy which will soon include many other sectors including local and regional trade, it said.
The project will also boost Pakistan’s production, revenue, defense capability, internal security, political strength, international image and sustainable development, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.
He said that the initiative will put Pakistan on the path of progress which is not acceptable to some countries including USA and India as it will damage their dominant position in the region.
China has remained a very close ally of Pakistan since decades and now economic interests have brought both the nations together which will help Pakistan resolve many problems, he added.
Poverty is rising in Pakistan which has a positive relation with environmental degradation and climate change. The poor try to consume whatever is available for their survival, so natural resources become the first victim but the CPEC has the potential to change the situation.
The creation of new economic centers across the country under CPEC will discourage migration of rural people to the cities ensuring overall development and help resolve the issue of poverty and climate change.
Murtaza Mughal said that CPEC is a ray of hope for the people of Pakistan but some elements continue to criticise CPEC on different baseless grounds which is a result of lack of information.
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In: UncategorizedAuthor: pakistaneconomywatch
07. 06. 18
Gravity dams are the better alternative to mega dams
Pakistan can become an electricity exporting country
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Wednesday said Kalabagh dam (KBD) poses a serious threat to the national integrity as it is against the wishes of the people of three provinces, therefore, it should be buried.
There are many better alternatives available which should be considered by the policymakers, it said.
Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW said that China has offered to construct forty gravity dams on the banks of River Indus costing double than KBD producing fifty thousand megawatts or fourteen times greater than the controversial KBD.
Gravity dams will give an unprecedented boost to GDP and exports while Pakistan will become an electricity exporting country, he added.
Murtaza Mughal said that global trend has shifted to environmentally-friendly small dams which must be followed and Pakistan can also copy Japanese model of run-of-the-river dams.
He said that opponents of KBD say that it is designed to steal water and it will play havoc with the agriculture of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
He said that there is no opposition to the Dasu, Diamer-Bhasha, and Munda dams which will have more storage capacity and will generate 9520 megawatts as compare to 3600 megawatts from KBD.
These three dams could be upraised which is not possible in case of KBD and they are immune to silting while KBD would require desilting after 15 years. These dams would increase the life of Turbela by fifty years while KBD would not benefit Turbela in any way.
The former government failed to properly fund the said dams to waste trillions of rupees for symbolic projects like Orange train and metro which was criminal, he said.
Murtaza Mughal noted that three provinces are against KBD and provincial assemblies have also passed resolutions against it, therefore, insistence on this project will not benefit the federation.
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In: UncategorizedAuthor: pakistaneconomywatch
04. 06. 18
Govt should take note of the plight of meat exporters
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said meat exports from Pakistan are going down for some years due to multiple reasons which should be noticed.
Meat exports grew by 27 percent from 2003 to 2015 after which it fell because of many reasons including non-payment by importers leaving many Pakistani exporters bankrupt, it said.
Due to failed financial obligations, especially by the importers of Gulf states, Pakistani exports reduced as it exported meat worth 113.9 million dollars in the first seven months which was seven percent less than meat exports of the earlier year, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.
He said that meat exporters have tried different forums of businessmen, sought the help of the concerned government officials and tried Pakistani embassies in the Gulf countries to get their money but to no avail which has discouraged them.
Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that Indian exporters are also selling their meat as Pakistani meat eating up our share but the concerned authorities have turned a blind eye to it.
He noted that presence of black sheep is also an issue hampering exports as some of the exporters violate the agreements and mix substandard meat in the consignments to maximise their profit which brings a bad name to the country.
The government should take note of the situation otherwise exporters from Australia, Newzeland and India will wipe out Pakistanis from the international meat market, he warned.
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In: UncategorizedAuthor: pakistaneconomywatch
