Govt asked to promote organic farming for a healthy society

Govt asked to promote organic farming for a healthy society

Businesswomen asked to explore economic benefits of organic farming

Organic agriculture benefits environment, production and conserve nature

Islamabad: Sept 22

Samina Fazil, founder President, Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on Sunday asked the government to promote organic farming for a healthy society and prosperous farming community.

The government should adopt an organic farming policy, promote the use of genetically non-modified seeds, launch awareness campaign and bring at least 15 per cent of the land under organic farming, she said.

Businesswomen should to explore opportunities in the lucrative field of organic farming which promises good returns, benefits environment, boost production and conserve nature, she said while speaking at a workshop jointly organised by IWCCI and TheNetwork.

Samina Fazil said that there is a great demand of different varieties among growing number of organic food consumers which can be exploited by the business community.   

She said that organic farming can reduce cost by over 25 per cent by abandoning the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; it minimise soil erosion by around 50 pc and increasing crop yields up to five-fold within five years.

Organic farming supports wildlife, improve entire ecosystems and reduce contamination in the ground water while dairies can ensure better livestock health, less sickness, and better milk and meat for consumers, said Samina Fazil.

Asking the business community to consider organic food stores across the country, she said that organically grown products are free from harmful chemicals, artificial flavours and preservatives which improve health and reduce healthcare costs.

It reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer because it is not loaded with toxins and chemicals, she informed.

Those who cannot find organic food in the vicinity can start developing good eating habits and reduce the hazardous impact of pesticides from initiating kitchen gardening, she said.

TheNetwork was represented by Rubina Bhatti, Dr. Sobia Faisal, Waheed Iqbal,  Saira Khalid, Sahaab Farooq and Arish Naseem. 

Read More

Ogra pushing country towards another crisis: PEW

Ogra decision to put a mln vehicles out of service, hurt 80m commuters

Daily life badly hurt by the decision taken to please LPG mafia

Sept 19

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Thursday said Oil and Gas Regulator Authority (Ogra) is pushing country towards another severe crisis on the behest of powerful LPG mafia.

The hydrocarbon regulator has issued another illegal order asking provinces to remove all the CNG cylinders from the commercial vehicles disregarding the fact that they have been cleared by almost a dozen of other government departments, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.

He said that all the provinces, especially Punjab has started acting upon the unlawful and unclear directives of the Ogra without considering its outcome.

The controversial decision has left owners of Toyota Hiace, Suzuki pickups and taxis on the mercy of police and provincial transport authorities. CNG cylinders are being removed from hundreds of vehicles while hundreds others ferrying masses have already gone off the road indefinitely, he said.

Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that Ogra wants to destroy the transportation system in Pakistan as around one million vehicles operating commercially are using CNG fuel while 80 million use public transport fuelled by the alternative and clean energy.

Commercial vehicles consume a lot of gas which have forced them to install additional cylinders due to CNG loadshedding, he said adding that nowhere in the world there is any law limiting the number of CNG cylinders or specifying their location in vehicles.

However, Dr. Mughal said, the regulator has been playing negative role by violating its own rules for petty interests, it has failed to make any law or ensured amendment in the existing CNG laws in the last 21 years.

Supreme Court in 2009 directed massive conversion of commercial transport on CNG to cut down pollution in urban centres which also reduced oil import bill.

He called upon the CNG operators to defy the orders which are part of a conspiracy to deprive masses of economical fuel.

Read More

The battle for Pakistan's agriculture

The battle for Pakistan's agriculture 

by Najma Sadeque

The first battle never really took off even after 66 years - restoring unduly appropriated land to the tiller - and a second more destructive and far-reaching battle is already upon us. Monoculture killed three-fourths of global biodiversity and soils: GM can only hasten extinction.

In recent decades, the sovereignty of many countries has been undermined by the bullying impositions of corporations backed by their own governments. This extends to forcing the adoption of so-called “level playing ground” rules that cannot apply to our socio-economic and environmental conditions: fictitious “equal standing” is simply not possible between unequals.

After a long struggle, during which time the US government tried to push sanctions against the European Union if it banned or discouraged GM crops (from USA), the EU finally prevailed. And last week, financial news agencies reported on hedge funds and insider traders dumping Monsanto stock, driving prices down. That includes Monsanto’s own CEO Hugh Grant selling off 40,000 of his own company’s shares, followed by other high-level executives. Worse is expected to follow.

The reasons were the same as elsewhere - the hazards that GMOs pose to human, animal and environmental health, Monsanto’s dangerous experiments that have lead to widespread GM pollution and cancer, and its predatory business practices. No longer welcome in Europe while facing rising opposition at home, Monsanto’s last hope for market lies in developing countries such as ours, where regulation is weak.

There is an interesting similarity to Monsanto’s powers of persuasion used in USA, India and Pakistan. Monsanto has long been ‘cosy’ with US Congressmen, getting its way entirely throughout, and helpfully eased through by former Monsanto executives vaulted to government.

In India, the push to introduce Bt cotton was also engineered from top officialdom, but it was not easy. India is a huge country with many fiercely independent states, all with a strong and informed say, turning the entire farmers’ communities and public interest groups against Monsanto. While it still prevails perforce in some areas with Bt cotton, it has failed with GM food crops; and given the 200,000 farmer suicides to-date, its days seem to be numbered.

Similarly, in Pakistan, the National Biosafety Committee and other regulators are under great pressure to approve GM crops. There was quite a hue and cry in 2011 when Monsanto was exposed to have written the biotech report, which was circulated for unilateral approval without being examined in-depth. But it takes two to clap hands; the head of PARC and the Vice Chancellor of Faisalabad University had thrown their full support behind GM crops.

There are 61 federal and provincial agricultural agencies (led originally by Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), which were devolved to the provinces in 2010. Now PARC is trying to get an extraordinary position for itself at the federal level as an umbrella organisation over all other agencies from where it will be easier to impose decisions onto the provinces. For the same reason, foreign interests such as USAID, therefore, prefer working with all-encompassing federal institutions.

This effort is remindful of the recent furore over the Farmer Assurance Provision, recently signed into law by President Barack Obama. But it had little to assure farmers with and more with boosting big agro-chemical corporations, so that it earned the title of “Monsanto Protection Act”. A provision was anonymously and secretively slipped into a resolution, as part of the Agricultural Appropriations Bill. It turned out to be a special interest loophole about which most lawmakers were unaware when they signed it. Over a quarter of million outraged US citizens then signed a petition launched by the “Food Democracy Now” network demanding the President veto it.

Why were people so angry? The provision shielded big biotech companies like Monsanto from legal action, even if a particular product proved to be harmful to humans or the environment. For the period that the provision is in place, both the Department of Agriculture and the courts are rendered powerless to stop Monsanto from producing or selling the product, no matter how toxic. The Congress actually blocked the judiciary from doing its job! According to Al-Jazeera, the provision was partly drafted by Monsanto and sneaked in through their insider friends, bypassing the necessary review from Congress' Agricultural or Judiciary Committees.

Later, the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Barbara Ann Mikulski, offered her apologies, claiming she did not put the offending text in and did not support it either. So, why was she so careless as to let it get through without it being discussed?

Fortunately, the provision is effective only until. By then, activists will be fighting hard to prevent it being made permanent, just as activists here will have to ensure that PARC does not become the sole decision-maker and law unto itself like the corrupted agricultural regulatory authorities in the US.

Ijaz Ahmed Rao is one such committed activist-farmer, who took it on himself to keep farmers, government decision-makers, agricultural institutions, the media and concerned citizens informed of global and local developments, good and bad, through his press writings and extensive email network - not the easiest task in an area that does not arouse strong feelings the way power politics does.

A graduate of Charles Stuart University, Australia, and a professional farmer in Bahawalpur for the last 15 years, he became interested in agro-biotechnology early on when he found his preference for organic farming difficult to pursue without government technical backup and in difficult terrain dependant on toxic river water, highly-polluted by industrial and agro-chemical runoff. He hoped to find solutions in gene technology, and initially supported the introduction of GM crops in Pakistan. But experience, controversies and data from independent sources and events since 2007 changed his mind: he concluded the technology was overhyped and MNCs were misrepresenting facts.

Between a billion and two billion rupees - all taxpayer money - is spent annually on Pakistan’s agricultural agencies to do research and related work. And though they will offer a list of impressive projects, some in collaboration with “foreign” establishments, they do not include what smallholder peasants or farmers like Ijaz Rao really need or want, such as organic farming, something they could revive with Cuba’s help, today the global leader and teacher in advanced techniques.

“Large-scale GM trials have still not been conducted in Pakistan and the process is being bulldozed so that everything is approved before the new government realises what’s really going on,” adds Rao.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has, reportedly, refused to give in to the GM lobby. If that’s true, stakeholders may not immediately lose the battle over Pakistan’s agriculture after all.

Read More

Dysfunctional education system a threat to society, economy

Effective education core to Pakistan’s prosperous future

Call to revive primary education system for national development

Islamabad: (July 25)

Pakistan’s education system which has become dysfunctional due to decades of neglect pose a serious threat to the society and economy unless improved on war footing, an educationist said Thursday.

Pakistan is among top illiterate countries, every tenth illiterate child in the world is Pakistani while country holds second position on the global ranking of out-of-school children, said Dr Naeem Ghani, Chairman Sultana Foundation.

Speaking at a seminar, he said that lack commitment on the part of policymakers has left 25 million children without schools while their number will swell to 50 million in fifteen years with disastrous social and economic consequences.

He said that around 23 per cent of school-age children are deprived of education while 17.6 per cent of them are actively engaged in the child labour.

Dr Naeem Ghani said that too much focus on higher education is taking tool on primary education as thousands of schools are without building, boundary walls, and other facilities.

Schooling of the girl child is extremely important as no education policy can work without gender balance which is yet to be taken seriously, he said.

Apathy on the part of authorities is responsible for declining quality of education which can be reversed through fresh investments in this sector which is core to Pakistan’s development.

He noted that our education system does not provide for a substantial percentage of students to move beyond the primary level.

Pakistan is still a long way from achieving universal primary enrolment which should be taken seriously, he underlined.

Read More

Budget to widen gap between rich, poor: Dr Ikramul Haq

Budget a threat to economy, society: int’l tax experts

Budget to widen gap between rich, poor: Dr Ikramul Haq

Govt yet to provide economic justice to masses: Huzaima Bukhari

Budget pushing majority to abject poverty: Dr Murtaza Mughal

June 25

International tax experts Dr Ikramul Haq and Huzaima Bukhari on Tuesday said current budget will widen the gap between rich and poor which is detrimental for society andeconomy.

They said that the budget indicates failure of the government to provide economic justice to the masses by taxing the rich.

Talking to Dr Murtaza Mughal, President of the Pakistan Economy Watch, Dr Ikramul Haq and Huzaima Bukhari said that budget lacks focus on welfare programmes and it will impede poor from moving up economically.

The budgetary measures will not redistribute wealth and income in the society but benefitting the affluent, the tax experts said.

Government efforts will not help overcome economic crisis but it has successfully pushed majority to another crisis in this era of high inflation, they remarked.

They opined that government can bring an end to lucrative SRO business, amend the Constitution and bring all kinds of income including from agriculture in the federal ambit.

Dr Ikramul Haq and Huzaima Bukhari further said that taxing education amounts to barring the children who are at the bottom to do better than their parents which is unfortunate.

There is a complete lack of understanding in the government that education can be used as effective tool for upward social mobility. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Murtaza Mughal said that the system has been damaging poor segments of society who remain mired in abject poverty.

He said Pakistan needs meaningful redistribution policies that can uplift the downtrodden but this is not preferred by rulers and the budget is an example of it.

Dr Murtaza Mughal said that the claim of the government to keep national interests supreme seems to be a political slogan as interests of rich are being watched and protected adding that revenue measures can go wrong anytime.

The budget document is long on rhetoric and short on action which overestimates revenues, stock market and wholesalers and retailers have been taxed lightly, formal sector has been burdened.

Salary increase and fertiliser import will broaden the deficit by Rs 160 billion, said Dr. Mughal.

Read More

IWCCI asks Govt. to complete IMF package deal urgently

Govt lauded for showing true picture of economy

Move helped restore confidence of business community

Broadening tax base better option than printing money

IWCCI asks Govt to complete IMF package deal urgently

Islamabad: June 23

The Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on Sunday lauded the government for showing true state of economy to the nation which has improved confidence of business community in their leadership.

The statement of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar that the government would have to look towards the IMF and other donors to start returning foreign debts calls for an urgent action, said Farida Rashid.

She said that former government damaged the economy, took 200 per cent loan of Pakistan’s quota and left Rs500 billion circular debt unsettled, now the country will face a default if it failed to return three billion dollars to IMF during 2013-2014.

She asked the government to finalise a deal with IMF for a loan of five billion dollar minimum on urgent basis so that Pakistan can avert a default.

The current situation is result of the inaction of the previous government which signed the loan agreement with the IMF in 2008 but failed to reform the tax system, state corporations, energy sector, eliminate subsidies and bring down fiscal deficit to 4 per cent as promised during negotiations.

The indecision of former unpopular rulers has brought country on the brink again which cannot make it on its own, she noted.

Farida Rashid said that new IML loan will restore the confidence of World Bank, ADB, and other donors to support Pakistan.

It will improve investment climate, result in continuity of policies, reduce flight of capital and relocation of industries and erosion of local currency to stabilise exchange rate.

Farida said that unlike former rulers, the incumbent government has decided to stop printing excessive currency and broaden the tax net which is a very positive development.

She said that government should think about the impression that it plans to burden masses through taxes while sparing wealthy.

Read More

Coal ministry suggested to tame energy crisis

Thar coal offers cheap, abundant power

Coal ministry suggested to tame energy crisis

Economical Thar coal can fulfil rising Indian demand

Statement of petro minister of Thar coal, Iran gas welcomed

Islamabad: June 25

The Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on Tuesday said precious resource of Thar coal is lying unexploited due to want of coordinated efforts therefore government should consider establishing a coal ministry to exploit its potential.

The 175 billion tonnes of coal, sixth largest in the world, was discovered 23 years back that could not be put to work so far despite the fact that it can to meet the country’s and neighbouring nationsfuel requirements for centuries, it said.

Pakistan has emerged as one of the leading countries, seventh in the list of top 20 countries of the world after the discovery of huge lignite coal resources which must be exploited, said Farida Rashid, President IWCCI.

Speaking to business community, she said that countries have lesser coal than Pakistan have coal ministries which ensure smooth flow of things.

Different federal and provincial departments, warring over petty matters, have only wasted time and funds to make the situation worst casting a dark shadow on the future of the country, she said.

She noted that despite decades of efforts, Pakistan is yet to claim any success on coal front therefore it should find an alternative solution to find support of other countries.

Farida Rashid said that coal has met nearly half of the rise in global energy demand over the last decade, growing faster even than total renewables while there are 1004 billion tonnes of coal reserves left which is equivalent to 130 years of global output.

Coal use in India continues to rise and by 2025 it will overtake the United States as the world’s second-largest user meaning that it will need to import more coal while Thar coal may be most economical for her.

Currently India imports coal from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia to satisfy annual deficit of 204 million tonnes.

According to World Coal Association, presently India is producing around 585 million tonnes of coal while importing 105 million tonnes and exporting nothing.

Converting captive power plants on coal may settle gas crisis while conversion of state-run power plants can resolve issue of budget deficit.

Pakistan’s economy’s steady drift towards collapse can be averted if a powerful coal ministry or a regulatory authority is established, she said.

Farida termed statement of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thar coal and Iran gas pipeline project highly encouraging.

Read More

FPCCI to support all positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract

FBR seeks FPCCI, business community’s help to broaden tax base

Reduced taxes to boost revenue, curb illicit trade: Malik Zubair

FPCCI to support all positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract

Islamabad: Dated: May 30^th

Ansar Javed, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday said Pakistan’s future is linked to promotion of tax culture and we are determined to improve tax-to-GDP ratio to make Pakistan a respectable and self-sustaining nation.

He said that we have chalked out a plan to promote tax culture in country for which many steps have been initiated including establishment of a Data Warehouse which will boost the number of taxpayers from existing 1.3 million to 20 million.

Ansar Javed said this while speaking at a pre-budget seminar organised by FPCCI. President FPCCI Zubair Ahmed Malik, Members FBR Muhammad Riaz and Raza Baqir, VP Saarc CCI Iftikhar Ali Malik, Chairman FPCCI Budget Committee Zakaria Usman, VPs FPCCI Azhar Saeed Butt, Muhammad Ali, Khawaja Iqbal, President ICCI Zafar Bakhtawri and others were also present on the occasion.

Chairman FBR said that meeting business community help us to get first-hand knowledge and reaction of the stakeholders which will help us improve performance and ensure a level playing field.

“We are seriously vetting budget proposals to facilitate business community and we need support of FPCCI to expand the tax base,” the chief of Apex tax agency said.

He said that we are employing latest technology alter to local needs, to facilitate taxpayers and discourage misuse of authority by field staff.

Assuring all support to the business community, Ansar Javed said that FBR is not supposed to collect taxes only but to take care of economic direction of the country and play its role in development of society.

Earlier, President FPCCI Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik told Chairman FBR said that country is passing through difficult situation due to mismanagement, bad governance, deteriorating law and order situation and energy crunch which have increased the crime rate, unemployment and revenue loss.

However, he said, FPCCI will support all the positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract, assured Malik. 

VP FPCCI Iftikhar Ali Malik and Minister for Information Technology Sindh, Mian Zahid Hussain and office bearers of various business chambers said that SRO culture should be discouraged as it serves no purpose but to confuses businessmen.

Consultation with business community before issuance of SROs and other directives should be made mandatory to boost confidence, they demanded.

FPCCI officials said that subsidy given to different sectors to the tune of Rs 452 amounts to wasting the hard-earned money of taxpayers which should be abolished or minimised.

Criticising the Sales Tax regime, they said that it is not progressive but regressive which is not helping in any way.

Participants of the seminar also discussed issues pertaining to recent economic downturn, revenue targets, mismanagement, tax relaxations, confusing rules and regulations, continuation in policies, tax breaks, increasing share of parallel economy in the national GDP, registration and deregistration process, and overall tax environment.

The Chairman FBR promised to respond to the issue raised by business leaders within seven days.

Read More

IT can alleviate poverty, transform society and economy

IT can alleviate poverty, transform society and economy

Incoming governemnt asked to promote IT to ensure national development

May 26

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said information technology can help alleviate poverty and transform our society and economy.

Pakistan can accelerate economic growth to get rid of many problems by improving its talent pool with the help of technology, it said.

The incoming government should initiate expanded online learning programmes to better serve students and extend the benefits of education to tens of thousands of others, said Dr Murtaza Mughal, President of the PEW.

He said that our policymakers must understand how crucial technology will be for the future of Pakistan as it can change life of millions.

Adopting the latest technologies altered to the needs of local people and organizations can help country to become developed nation as we have many shining examples of this phenomenon, he said.

Dr Murtaza Mughal said that government and businesses can make use of the new light-weight but powerful technologies to reinvent themselves as out-of-date computing systems are costly and rigid.

He said that cloud computing technologies can be tapped to provide education, interactive learning and interaction with professors over a smartphone or economical personal computer.

Similarly, majority of women entrepreneurs who generally lack access to customers can market their goods anywhere in the world by using technology.

Companies can engage with their employees via social networking to communicate strategies, get feedback and provide up-to-the-minute training, he added.

Data analytics can help learn and make better decisions, mobile and cloud computing can give access to insights anytime and anywhere, and social business technologies can help connect and collaborate in ways that were not possible before.

Roadside video cameras can be employed to gather real-time data to help relieve traffic congestion in cities while registered drivers can get SMS alerts regarding problems ahead.

Technology can make it possible for companies to operate more efficiently to rapidly build businesses while it can help government to better serve their citizens to enjoy the satisfaction that success will bring.

Read More

Insurance companies asked forestall threats to masses, economy

Election jitters escalates need for risk mitigation: Mian Shahid

Insurance companies asked forestall threats to masses, economy

Lahore: May 09

Repeated terror incidents and other fears associated with the Parliamentary elections have not only increased awareness but also furthered need for risk mitigation through insurance, a businessman said Thursday.

Insurance industry is in need of dynamic people with high integrity level capable of delivering with out of box solutions, said Mian Shahid, CEO Saudi Pak Insurance Company.

Speaking to insurance stakeholders, he said that insurance sector will flourish if it explores untapped markets and serve masses, trade and commerce in the best possible way.

He said that we should educate business community to take adequate measures to protect themselves and their business from any potential security and investment danger.

Security issues have brought economy to its knees, businesses have been destroyed, and employees displaced because majority of those affected did not have proper insurance to compensate them, said Mian Shahid.

Rising political temperatures can result in political violence while most insurance companies are not properly prepared to cope with the situation, he said, adding that interruption in business operations has become a routine which must be covered.

Some insurance companies are lenient enough to reward some of their good customers after the suffer losses which is casting a negative shadow on whole industry, he said.

Shahid said that industry should design appropriate products to cover business community especially the SMEs can be adversely affected in post-election scenario.

The insurance industry should properly respond to rising demand of cover against risk, clashed, and terror. Insurance industry survives on pooling risk with a probability that it may or may not happen, he explained.

Read More

Pak-China rapidly boosting economic, cultural cooperation

Pak-China rapidly boosting economic, cultural cooperation

Beijing committed to invest heavily in Pakistan’s energy, other sectors

Bilateral trade up by 70 per cent in five years, Pakistan’s exports grow over 100 pc

Islamabad: March 28

Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy Mr. Yao Wen on Thursday said bilateral relations between Pakistan and China are rapidly growing to new heights.

He said that Beijing is committed to invest heavily in Pakistan’s energy and other sectors so that people of this great nation can enjoy a better life.

Mr. Yao Wen said this while speaking at an award, books, and uniform distribution ceremony held at a local school where students of Chinese origin are also getting free education.

Calling for enhanced collaboration between educational institutions and exchanges of students and researchers, he said that it would be useful to provide fresh ideas and intellectual content for strengthening our unmatched partnership.

Successive generations of leaders as well as the masses have always held high the banner of Pakistan-China friendship, said Yao Wen.

He said Chinese are working on 120 projects in Pakistan with around a quarter related to energy that is most important part of our cooperation.

In last five years volume of bilateral trade has grown by 70 per cent to over $ 12 billion with Pakistani exports increased two-fold from $1 billion to $2.2 billion, he informed.

The diplomat informed that Chinese enterprises were entering the Pakistani market while Pakistani businesses were also increasingly looking towards China.

Lauding the role of Islamabad in regional and global peace, stability and development he said that Pakistan has offered great sacrifices to ensure peace.

Speaking on the occasion, President Ex-Chinese Association Raza Khan lauded the Chinese assistance and cooperation in various fields terming it a great service to people of Pakistan. He lauded the active involvement of Chinese Ambassador Liu Jian in capacity building of students.

Supporting needy students is a great service which is ensuring social development, he added.

Raza Khan said we should increase people-to-people exchanges and promote understanding between the people of the two countries which is imperative to carry forward cause of Pak-China friendship.

Terming China a sincere and selfless friend, Joint Secretary Ministry of Education Prof. Muhammad Rafiq Tahir said that two countries should fully unleash their potential of cooperation to benefit masses.

Pakistan and China need to work closely together to seize opportunities and meet challenges; we should focus our efforts on developing the economy and improving people’s well-being, he added.

Around 8,000 Pakistani students are already studying in China and thousands more are preparing to join them.

The chief guest also inaugurated new block in the Peak Montessori and High School.

Read More