Sindh introduces reforms to climb up the Ease of Doing Business ladder

Syed Murad Ali Shah, chief minister of Sindh, Abdul Razzak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production and Investment and Illango Patchamuthu, Country Director, World Bank launch Sindh Business Registration Portal. (Photo courtesy SID).
Updated 20 February 2019
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Sindh introduces reforms to climb up the Ease of Doing Business ladder

  • Launches online registration portal to facilitate investors
  • Aims for Pakistan to be in the list of top 25 economies across the world by 2047

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Sindh province launched an online registration portal on Wednesday with an aim to improve the country's global ranking in terms of its ease of doing business.

The Sindh Business Registration Portal (SBRP) is part of reforms to ensure Pakistan's position is less than 100 in the global index. 

In the World Bank’s Doing Business Index issued last year, Pakistan had improved its position by 11 notches --from 147 to 136 -- out of 190 countries. The Sindh province plays an important role in facilitating the process as the port city of Karachi represents 65 percent of the country's business  community, followed by Lahore at 35 percent. 

“We have determination and a keen focus on improving the ease of doing business. The prime minister has given a target to come 100 or below for this year. The time is running out and we have only a couple of months left as the World Bank will start its evaluation in April," Abdul Razzak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production and Investment, said. 

“We are well on our way to come under 100," he added while highlighting the three areas where the country needs to improve. These include “taxation, giving permit for construction and property registration and getting electricity connections”.

Stressing on the need for the implementation of key policies, Dawood said the “ease of doing business is one of the most discussed topics wherever I go”.

The World Bank, for its part, has been providing technical support to the Sindh government for the implementation and facilitation of the reforms. The province has also had the support of the Department for International Development (DFID), in the UK.

“Pakistan now needs to move towards one single integrated market in which businesses [irrespective of whether] they operate from Karachi or Peshawar...can operate across the country without worrying about registering in Sindh or registering in Punjab or KP. This makes Pakistan the perfect location for local and foreign investments,” Illango Patchamuthu, Country Director, World Bank, said.  

He added that it was critical for the on-going momentum to be sustained in order to help Pakistan become a competitive and business-friendly investment destination. "The reforms are prominently featured in the Pakistan@100 initiative which aims for the country to be in the top 25 economies globally by 2047," Patchamuthu said. 

Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the Ease of Doing Business report was an important measure with economic and political consequences, and that the index had become one of the most important indicators for companies to choose which countries to invest in.

“Through this portal, the business community can complete the registration process for four different departments... We intend to include all provincial departments,” Murad said.

The SBRP will ensure businesses are able to register swiftly by providing access to a slew of online services, in addition to cutting down the cost, time and effort of visiting multiple government departments for the purpose. The portal will also link the four provincial and federal departments for a smoother and faster registration process.

Furthermore, the Punjab Information Technology Board has extended its technical support to the government of Sindh for designing, testing and launching the portal, in addition to training relevant departments to effectively use it to facilitate private sector investments.


United Nations to review international commitments on Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction today

Updated 27 September 2023
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United Nations to review international commitments on Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction today

  • The UN and Pakistan co-hosted a conference in Geneva to marshal funds for reconstruction and rehabilitation
  • The bilateral and multilateral donors committed over $9 billion, though not much of that amount was released

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to hold an informal meeting in New York on Wednesday to review the outcome of commitments made by the international community to support flood-affected families in Pakistan following the monsoon devastation of last year.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani expressed optimism last week that the financial pledges made by various bilateral and multilateral donors to help Pakistan carry out reconstruction activities would soon materialize.

His statement came months after the United Nations and Pakistan co-hosted a conference in Geneva to generate the funds needed to rebuild homes, roads and railway tracks that were washed away by flash floods, submerging much of the country and displacing millions of people.

According to estimates, Pakistan needed $16.3 billion for reconstruction activities, with participants at the event committing over $9 billion.

“The informal meeting will hear a briefing on the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 77/1, passed last year in October 2022, which expressed ‘solidarity and support for the Government and the people of Pakistan and the strengthening of emergency relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and prevention in the wake of the recent devastating floods,’” said the curtain-raiser for the upcoming meeting, released by Pakistan’s permanent mission at the UN.

“UN Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Guterres will share the update with the participants of the meeting,” it added.

The General Assembly resolution sought to “sensitize the international community” to Pakistan’s reconstruction needs and “mobilize effective, immediate, and adequate international support and assistance.”

Prior to its passage, the UN secretary-general visited Pakistan to witness the extent of flood damages and noted that the country had experienced “a monsoon on steroids” that had devastated much of its southern regions.

Pakistan has since called for the required global assistance, pointing out that the world needs to collectively deal with the growing issue of climate change.

It was also at the forefront of efforts to establish a loss and damages fund at COP27 in Egypt, aimed at assisting those nations facing the brunt of erratic weather patterns without contributing significantly to global warming.


A rocket launcher shell accidentally explodes at a home in southern Pakistan and 8 people are dead

Updated 56 min 36 sec ago
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A rocket launcher shell accidentally explodes at a home in southern Pakistan and 8 people are dead

  • Police believe family members took unexploded shell home after finding it at nearby farm
  • City of Kandhkot where the explosion took place is known as hideout of robbers and criminals 

KARACHI: A shell of a rocket launcher apparently accidentally exploded at a home in a remote village in southern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least eight people, including women and children, police said.

At least two people were also wounded in the blast in southern Sindh province, said regional police chief Rahil Khoso.

Investigators believe that family members took the unexploded shell home after finding it at a nearby open farm field. Such blasts often happen when people try to dismantle unexploded ammunition to sell as scrap metal.

The city of Kandhkot, where the explosion took place, is known as a hideout of robbers and criminals who are well armed, including with rockets. Security forces have launched operations against criminals in the area.


Pakistani cabbies struggle to stay on the road as fuel costs hack pay

Updated 27 September 2023
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Pakistani cabbies struggle to stay on the road as fuel costs hack pay

  • On Sept. 15, Pakistan announced a record rise in petrol and diesel prices, second big increase in two weeks
  • Spiraling fuel costs and inflation have left Islamabad cab drivers with reduced incomes, no alternative means of livelihood

ISLAMABAD: Khairullah Khan, a 50-year-old taxi driver, remembers a time when he could fill his tank with cheap fuel to drive passengers across the Pakistani capital and take home enough money for food, drink and a decent life for his wife and nine children. 

Today, spiraling fuel costs and soaring inflation mean he is left at the end of a busy day with less than a few dollars in earnings. 

Last week, parked under a tree near a bustling market in Islamabad, Khan waited for customers but said rising fuel costs had driven most of his clients away.

On Sept. 15, Pakistan announced a record rise in petrol and diesel prices — by 26.02 rupees to 331.38 rupees a liter and by 17.34 rupees to 329.18 rupees a liter, respectively — the second big increase in two weeks for the South Asian nation already struggling with high inflation. A $3 billion loan program, approved by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, averted a sovereign debt default in Pakistan but reforms linked to the bailout have fueled annual inflation running at 27.4 percent.

“We have no work, no income, we are ready to kill ourselves,” Khan, who has been plying the streets of Islamabad since 1991, told Arab News. “It has become very difficult to make ends meet now.” 

Khairullah Khan, a 50-year-old taxi driver, is pictured sitting in a roadside cafe in Islamabad, Pakistan on September 19, 2023. (AN photo)

Khan complained that customers were now unwilling to pay the high cost of rides that drivers were forced to charge due to new fuel prices.

“When we raise the fares, people argue that they are not responsible for the fuel prices so why should they pay higher costs,” the cabbie said.

Yellow cab driver Talib Hussain, 47, said now even “middle class people” could not afford taxi rides.

“I have not had any customers since morning, neither have any other cabbies standing here,” he said, pointing to a line of cabs behind his car.

Hussain said he used to make almost Rs25,000 ($85.6) per month last year but now took home barely Rs 8-10,000 ($27-34) monthly.

“If we [family] were eating thrice a day [last year], now we can only afford to eat one meal per day. Earlier my kids used to go to school by a van but now they have to walk to school every day. I have enrolled them in a government school because I could not afford to pay for private schools.”

An employee waits for customers at a fuel station in Islamabad, Pakistan on September 25, 2023. (AN photo)

Many drivers who work with ride hailing apps like Uber, Careem, Bykea and InDrive reported a 50-60 percent decrease in average income compared to last year.

“The way fuel prices have increased, the rates per kilometer have not been increased the same way [by the ride-hailing company] which has resulted in a 50-60 percent drop in our incomes,” part time cabbie Naveed Alam said.

“If I was saving Rs 1,000 ($3.42) per day from this work last year, now I can barely save Rs600 ($2) … Customers have decreased, and fuel prices have doubled, which has reduced our income manifold.”

An InDrive bike rider who only identified himself by his first name, Usman, said he earned Rs1,000 ($3.42) per ride last year while burning Rs200 ($0.68) on fuel.

“Now for the same job, the fuel costs us around Rs 500-600 ($2),” he said, adding that maintenance costs for his bike had also doubled. “The fuel costs have almost doubled, and inflation has also increased so much, which has made our lives very difficult.”

Many cab drivers said the price hikes were forcing them to seek alternative means of livelihood, an uphil task, or get a second job.

“We toil for over 18 hours a day, yet we are unable to cover our expenses,” said Vilayat Khan, a cab driver in Islamabad who has been associated with the profession for the last 28 years. “But to start any other work we need investment, but we don’t have any money to invest, we don’t even own the cars we are driving.”

Bykea motorcycle driver Haider Ali Bykea said he saw no silver lining in the clouds:

“People like us will be forced to end our lives … what else can we do? I have five kids, how do I feed them? How is a poor man supposed to survive?”


Pakistan says hospitals used drug without regulatory approval, causing vision loss

Updated 18 min 23 sec ago
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Pakistan says hospitals used drug without regulatory approval, causing vision loss

  • Nearly 70 patients of diabetes across Punjab province suffered vision loss after being administered Avastin medicine
  • The drug is employed to treat cancer, but its off-label use for diabetic retinopathy-related edema is common in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Punjab’s interim health minister Dr. Javed Akram announced on Tuesday an experimental medication suspected of causing vision loss among dozens of diabetics across the province was administered by hospitals without seeking prior approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

Nearly 70 patients from various districts in Punjab reported eye infections leading to blindness in recent weeks after receiving doses of injectable medicine called Avastin. The medication is primarily used to treat cancer but is also prescribed off-label in Pakistan for diabetic retinopathy-related edema.

Pakistan imposed a temporary ban on the drug earlier this week and initiated an inquiry to assign responsibility after patients began losing their vision.

“The ocular use of this medicine has not been approved by anyone,” said the provincial health minister. “It has not been approved by the [US] FDA [Food and Drug Administration], DRAP, Indian authorities or claimed by [the manufacturer] Roche itself.”

“This was an off-label use,” he continued. “It is mandatory in such cases to seek permission from DRAP ... which did not happen. Moreover, the good clinical practice of securing informed consent [from patients in such cases] was also not followed.”

Dr. Akram emphasized that it was necessary to seek a patient’s consent “in the local language when administering an experimental drug.”

He disclosed that the government had now decided to require audiovisual recordings from hospital authorities, demonstrating that patients had been clearly informed of the benefits and risks associated with off-label medication use.

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to bringing those responsible for this criminal negligence to justice and confirmed that Avastin would be available only for cancer treatment while the inquiry continued.

 


Minister says Pakistan to finalize first artificial intelligence policy by December

Updated 27 September 2023
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Minister says Pakistan to finalize first artificial intelligence policy by December

  • The information technology minister says it is important to help people develop AI skills since they are quite valuable
  • The government is setting up a policy committee of experts from IT industry and academia to finalize the draft policy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interim information technology minister Umar Saif said on Tuesday his team had prepared the draft of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy and was currently in consultation with relevant stakeholders to finalize it by December.
Artificial intelligence, often abbreviated as AI, refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. These tasks include learning from data, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and solving problems. AI aims to create machines that can mimic human-like thinking and decision-making processes.
With this technology becoming more readily accessible, governments and private sectors across the world are beginning to reap its benefit while performing day-to-day functions. Pakistan’s planning ministry also acknowledged in April the AI incorporation in different government sectors would lead to better decision-making processes, personalized medical treatments, and enhanced learning experiences and solutions that were previously unattainable.
“There are far reaching consequences of this policy,” the information minister told Arab News in a brief conversation. “We have put it for public consultation. There is a draft which helped us get public comments from outside as well as inside the country … We need to train people to develop AI skills according to the policy since they can be quite valuable.”
“My goal is to finalize and notify this AI policy by December,” he continued.
Syed Junaid Imam, the spokesperson for the information technology ministry, also informed Arab News the country’s official artificial intelligence would be finalized after consultation with all stakeholders before being sent to the federal cabinet for approval.
“It is based on four main points,” he said while sharing details. “Enabling AI through awareness and readiness, AI market enablement, building a progressive and trusted environment, and its transformation and evolution.”
A recent notification by the information ministry said it was “forming a policy committee that will lead the policy consultation process and finalize the draft,” adding that the members of the committee would have experts from industry, academia and the government.
“The National AI Policy is crafted to focus on the equitable distribution of opportunity and its responsible use, having the defining attributes such as evidence-based and target oriented, user-centric and forward-looking, objective and overarching,” according to the draft of the policy, a copy of which was seen by the Arab News.
The draft also outlined how Pakistan would collaborate with other countries to share best practices and expertise in the AI field.
“The policy proposed the establishment of an AI regulatory directorate that ensures the ethical and responsible use of AI,” it read.
The draft policy also addressed the potential job displacement that could result from the global proliferation of the new technology.
“AI can help to promote economic growth by encouraging investment in AI research and development which can lead to the creation of new jobs and industries, as well as improved productivity and efficiency,” it said.
It further stated that owing to the impact of artificial globally, the Pakistani government envisioned embracing it by appreciating human intelligence and stimulating a hybrid intelligence ecosystem for equitable, responsible and transparent AI use.