Can the New Intergovernmental Structure Work in Pakistan? Learning From China
December 27, 2013
1.
Introduction
The 18th
Amendment to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan disentangles overlapping
spending responsibilities between the federation and provinces in a wide range
of functions, devolving them to the latter. The legislation was also a reaction
to relatively poor service delivery and living standards that had fallen continuously
behind those in other countries in South Asia, and, indeed, are now lower than
sub-Saharan Africa in most respects.
The Musharraf
government had used this argument for its own decentralization
effort—delegating power to the districts and bypassing the political centers of
power in the provinces. The 18th Amendment reasserts the provinces’ power
and the associated political centers of power. It is designed to weaken the
center, and correspondingly make it less attractive for the military to assume
power by moving against an elected Prime Minister, as it has done periodically
in Pakistan’s history.
But will this
major reform work effectively and ensure higher living standards for all people
in all the provinces? To what extent is the need for a national identity
important in ensuring that the decentralization does not cause the federation
to unravel or the overall delivery of public services to deteriorate and lead
to greater exclusion of the poor? These are important issues and could well
determine the fate of the 18th Amendment as well as social stability
in Pakistan.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/27/2013 11:39:00 AM,
The Future Path of Tax Reforms in Pakistan
1.
Introduction
Pakistan’s
taxation system has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. The country’s
low and declining revenue yield has been attributed to wide-ranging concessions
and exemptions, large-scale tax evasion, and a slack and corrupt tax
administration. This has led to the perception of a virtual breakdown of tax
compliance in the country.
Improving the
tax effort has now become the lynchpin of any future economic reform process.
Experience shows that this will require political determination in order to overcome
the resistance from powerful vested interests. In addition, tax collecting
agencies such as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), will need to undergo
fundamental improvements to successfully implement the required changes in tax
policy.
The objective
of this chapter is to describe Pakistan’s taxation system both at the federal
and provincial levels, followed by an in-depth diagnosis of the factors
contributing to the exceptionally low tax-to-GDP ratio. We also assess the
level of tax rates, the magnitude of tax expenditures (revenue losses due to
concessions and exemptions in the tax code), and the extent of tax evasion.
Based on this
diagnosis, we identify the key elements of a reform package in the areas of tax
policy and administration. This set of reforms will promote transparency of the
tax system, improve the progressivity of the tax burden, and remove distortions
in the allocation of resources in the economy. Importantly, the various
measures proposed will help in significantly raising the tax-to GDP ratio.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/27/2013 11:29:00 AM,
Beyond the Poverty Line: A Multidimensional Analysis of Poverty in Pakistan
December 25, 2013
Azam Chaudhry*, Theresa Chaudhry**, Muhammad Haseeb***, and Uzma Afzal****
1. Introduction
The issue of poverty is both simple and complex: at one level, the implicit or explicit objective of most economic policymakers in developing countries is to reduce the levels of poverty in a country; at another level, the tools that should be used are constantly open to debate. The debate in almost all developing countries concerns the correct policy mix between those that target economic growth, which have the potential to reduce poverty as overall income levels rise, and those policies that target poverty directly, such as social safety nets or income transfers.
There is little question that long-term growth reduces poverty, but in a country such as Pakistan, where growth is sporadic at best, the question that arises is what can be done to reduce poverty for those who will not benefit from growth for years or even decades. If we add to this the fact that development has been devolved to the provinces in Pakistan after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the future of poverty alleviation initiatives is quite simple: Either we explicitly acknowledge that the state is only concerned with economic growth and wait for growth to reduce poverty—while pursuing intermittent and idiosyncratic poverty interventions that assist the poor but do little to move them out of poverty—or we clearly focus the limited resources of the state on explicitly targeted poverty interventions.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/25/2013 05:52:00 PM,
Exports: Lessons from the Past and the Way Forward
December 18, 2013
Hamna Ahmed*, Naved Hamid**, and Mahreen Mahmud***
1. Introduction
The idea that trade is important for economic growth dates back to the nineteenth century when classical economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo and John Stuart Mill advocated the favorable effects of international trade on output. Since then, a rich body of theoretical and empirical literature has evolved with regard to the role of trade in growth and development. Initially, post-Second World War, development economists viewed trade as a negative factor in developing countries’ industrialization objectives, and from the 1950s through the early 1970s most newly independent countries adopted an import-substitution industrialization (ISI) strategy. By the mid-1970s, however, there was growing disenchantment among development economists concerning ISI and in favor of the export-led growth strategy that several East Asian countries had successfully adopted. Subsequently, this was formalized in what is referred to as the Washington consensus: generally described as an outward-oriented development (OOD) strategy, it has since been adopted by most developing countries.
According to proponents of the OOD strategy, outward orientation can promote economic growth through three main channels. The first is trade, which enables firms (at the micro-level) and countries (at the macro-level) to gain through specialization and economies of scale. This is because increased competition results in the least efficient producers being driven out of the market, while the most efficient producers expand their market share, thus raising aggregate productivity through the reallocation of resources (Tyler, 1981; Melitz, 2003). The second is exports, which serve as the primary source of foreign exchange needed to purchase imported inputs such as raw material and machinery and, more broadly, to help ease the balance of payments constraint (Faridi, 2012). The third channel involves trade as an important source of knowledge and technology transfer, with the potential to encourage innovative activity—such as research and development, and the introduction of new products and processes—by increasing the returns on innovation as exporters have access to a larger market than nonexporters.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/18/2013 11:51:00 AM,
Tackling the Energy Crisis
December 16, 2013
Afia Malik*
1. Introduction
This chapter aims to discuss the crisis of the power sector in Pakistan—its origin and challenges—and, most importantly, to suggest strategies and possible solutions for coping with it. A sufficient energy supply is indispensible for all economic activity and for ensuring sustainable economic growth and development. Regrettably, Pakistan’s power sector is beset by a crisis with the demand–supply gap growing continuously to unmanageable proportions. The electric power deficit has crossed the 5,000 MW level many times during 2011 and 2012; in the second week of June 2012, this shortfall had surpassed 8,000 MW.
The main reason for this growing gap is not only the rising demand and high system losses, but also the declining generation capacity. Seasonal reductions in the availability of hydropower, reductions in indigenous gas resources, the country’s heavy reliance on imported fuel oil for power generation, and forced power outages due to capacity degradation or scheduled outages for the maintenance of existing power plants are all responsible for the declining generation capacity. The unavailability of oil—given the economy’s mounting circular debt as the government fails to adjust energy prices to reflect supply cost—has only accentuated the energy crisis.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/16/2013 04:28:00 PM,
A Country and an Economy in Transition
Shahid Javed Burki*
1. Introduction
The main thrust of this chapter is that Pakistan is finally in a position to move forward and set its economy not only on the path to recovery, but on a trajectory that will ensure high levels of sustainable growth. This could happen since some of structural problems that have dogged the political system since its creation seem to be nearing resolution. Since there is a close connection between political and economic developments, this advance in the former will have positive meaning for the latter. Pakistan may well be on its way to developing a new way of managing its affairs—meaning the way in which the political system is run, how the economy is managed, and how social interactions take place among different segments of the population. With the adoption of an appropriate set of public policies, it may also be possible to pull the economy out of the deep slump into which it has fallen and achieve a much higher rate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
This way of thinking about the future seems much too optimistic for a time that brings grim news every day—of an economy that is not able to move out of the slow growth groove in which it has been stuck since 2007; of national bankruptcy believed to be just around the corner; and of a country increasingly isolated in a world that is busy reorganizing itself. The GDP growth rate has been on a declining trend since the 1965 war with India. For the last six years, the average rate of growth has been just slightly more than 3 percent a year—only one percentage point above the estimated yearly increase in population.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/16/2013 12:00:00 AM,
Economic Management under Musharraf and Coalition Rule: Key Lessons for Sustainable Growth
December 12, 2013
Rashid Amjad*
1. Introduction
Over the last 65 years, the Pakistan economy has displayed considerable resilience as it has moved through recurring economic cycles of high economic growth followed by prolonged spells of low growth. Its average economic growth of around 5 percent during this period would be considered respectable by most developing countries’ standards, even though this performance is now clearly overshadowed by the stellar growth rates achieved since the 1980s, first by the East Asian economies, followed by China, and then till recently by India.
Is there a limit to the strain that even a reputedly resilient economy can bear? After being mired in deep stagflation for the last five years (2009–13), there is a growing despondency that the Rubicon may well have been crossed. Breaking out of the current recession will need firm and resolute policy action and a commitment to deep economic reforms. The time to resort to easier options such as external financial support as a means to procrastinate on essential economic reforms has now passed. Neither is external assistance going to be so easily forthcoming after the country’s dismal record of reneging on promised reforms, nor for that matter will it be sufficient. The problem is now much more deep-rooted and structural. It is no longer business as usual to rekindle sustained growth.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/12/2013 02:20:00 PM,
Failed Economic Promise: Lessons from Pakistan’s Development Experience
December 11, 2013
Parvez Hasan*
1. Introduction
Pakistan has had a checkered economic and political history. The country’s periods of rapid growth in the 1960s, the first half of the 1980s, and 2002–07, have been followed by periods of sharp economic slowdowns. Sustained economic growth has been elusive; there has been no real deepening of the structure of the economy, and social and distribution issues have become increasingly troublesome. Yet Pakistan has somehow managed to attain an annual average gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.2 percent and a per capita income growth rate of 2.5 percent over the last half-century (1960–2010) that has more than trebled the average living standard over the period.
The distribution of gains from growth has, undoubtedly, not been equitable. However, the country’s economic record, though of course not able to match that of East Asia—especially China, and more recently India—seems to compare favorably with the average for developing countries. This is no mean achievement considering the great deal of political instability and long periods of military rule that entailed relatively good governance but a high cost in terms of defense spending, continued tension with India, and weakening institutional authority.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/11/2013 02:23:00 PM,
Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward
Rashid Amjad and Shahid Javed Burki
When we, the two editors of this volume, joined a group of South Asian economic experts at a meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the summer of 2011, there was much discussion on the economic gains to be made if the South Asian countries could work together. We discussed how the differences in the endowments and advantages of these countries could be aggregated and used for the benefit of the entire citizenry. “Connectivity” was another subject of great interest.
In meetings such as these, there is as much talk around the table as off it. The Kathmandu meeting was no exception. Several of us spent a few evenings together reflecting on how the possibility for achieving the regional goal could be realized in South Asia. In our discussion, we were struck by one thing: there was a great deal of hope expressed by the representatives from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka about their countries and how they could contribute to regional integration and South Asian development. Even the Bhutanese and Nepalese at the meeting thought that their most significant difficulties were behind them. It was only the Pakistani group that displayed some diffidence. It was at some point in this discussion that we began to ask whether Pakistan had been dealt such a poor hand that it could not sit at the table with hope and play the game the other South Asian nations were eager to join. It was then that the idea of assembling a book of essays on Pakistan’s future was born.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/11/2013 01:46:00 PM,
Seminar on Human Resource Management
November 28, 2013
Lahore School of Economics organized a seminar on Human Resource Management at Mehmud Chaudhry Library on November 26, 2013. The panel included Mr. Haroon Waheed, winner of the International Best Leadership Award 2010, currently working as HR Head Fatima Group, Mr. Amir Hamid, Executive Director Adamjee Insurance, Ms. Ayesha and Ms. Sheema Atta from Fatima Group.
Labels: Guest Speaker, Human Resource Management, Seminar
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/28/2013 02:10:00 PM,
Grooming Graduates
Fraz Aslam, the CEO KAF Human visited Lahore School on November 22, 2013 and delivered a lecture to undergraduate students on ‘grooming, interview tips and resume writing.
Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/28/2013 02:09:00 PM,
Alumni Get Together
November 27, 2013
Lahore School Alumni got together with senior executives from Lahore Corporate Sector on November 23, 2013. Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, the Rector, revealed that Lahore School is setting up an executive training programme for its Alumni working in various industries. Dr. Shahid also shed light on the fee structure, scholarship programme and research done by the faculty members at the Lahore School. He said that Lahore School is truly proud of its Alumni and is lucky to have such remarkable representatives of Lahore School in the market.
The distinguished guests introduced themselves and shared their views about the performance of Lahore School students in their respective organizations. They all applauded the way our students have positioned themselves in such a competitive job market. Mr. Haroon Waheed from Fatima Group said that the values embedded in the Lahore School Students are extraordinary. Mr. Omer Lodhi from Metro Cash n Carry commented that he had a great experience working with the Lahore School students. He has found them humble and down to earth. Mr. Salman Nazeer from Nestle added that Lahore School students always made effort to add value to the organization they are working with.
Read more »Labels: Alumni, Alumni Meet
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/27/2013 11:13:00 AM,
Professional Grooming
Mr. Sohail Zindani - a prominent consultant, trainer and author - gave a talk on ‘grooming, interview skills and resume writing’ to the Lahore School of Economics undergraduate students. Founder of Learning Minds Group, he is one of the most influential Learning and OD Experts in Pakistan.
Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/27/2013 09:54:00 AM,
Corporate social responsibility
November 12, 2013
Mr. Arif Ijaz, the adviser Kohinoor Maple Leaf Group visited Lahore School of Economics on November 08, 2013 and gave a talk to MBA students on Corporate social responsibility - a major component of any business strategy.
Labels: Lahore School Corporate Social Responsibility
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/12/2013 03:05:00 PM,
The K Karobar
November 11, 2013
SME Entrepreneurship students from BBA Section K organized an exposition “Karobar” on November 6, 2013 at the main campus of Lahore School. Students practically formed Marketing/PR, Finance, Operations and Logistics department and showed their functioning during the expo. Each student conceived a business idea and presented in this exhibition. The ideas ranged from, leather wear to carpets, glass bottle, lamps, hand painted sketches to free lance writing, and fancy cupcakes to hand warmers.
Read more »Labels: Entrepreneurship
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/11/2013 12:21:00 PM,
How to bag a job?
Dr. Sitwat Husain visited the Lahore School on November 06, 2013 and gave a talk to MBA students on Interview skills, Resume writing and grooming. The speaker differentiated between CV and resume and enlightened the students on the objectives of both. “The purpose of a CV is not to get a good job but to land an interview,’ said Mr. Husain.
Dr. Sitwat Husain also dwelled on interview skills required, the makes and breaks of an interview. He emphasized on integrity, values, honesty and credibility. Mr. Husain also talked about the Do’s and Don’ts of answering questions in an interview and how one should prepare before appearing for a job interview. He then gave some very useful tips on grooming, appropriate attire, hygiene, body language and appearance [Sadaf A. Malik].
Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/11/2013 12:18:00 PM,
Accounting
November 04, 2013
Mr. Arif Masud Mirza, Country Head, ACCA delivered a lecture on “Accounting” to the accounting students at Lahore School of Economics on November 01, 2013.
ACCA currently is operating in 173 countries worldwide with 89 offices and centers and works with 70 global partners, with 162,000 members and 428,000 students.
Read more »Labels: Accounting, Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/04/2013 01:48:00 PM,
Consumer Behavior
November 01, 2013
Mr. Nadeem Rehmani, the Director, Metro Cash n Carry visited the Lahore School on October 28, 2013 to deliver a lecture on Consumer Behavior to the graduating MBA class.
The guest gave the audience some useful insight on how metro as a B2B and B2C merchandiser is operating in Pakistan. Mr. Rehmani said that Metro is one of the top four companies of the country. He talked about the modern trade formats and the difference between B2B and B2C customers, consumer behavior of different consumers depending upon personality drives, psychological and social differences and various types, stages and process of buying, successive sets involved in decision making and types of consumer choices.
Read more »Labels: Consumer Behavior, Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/01/2013 03:26:00 PM,
Specialized Alumni Association of Bankers’ Lunch
October 29, 2013
Lahore School hosted invited Alumni working in senior management positions in banking sector to have a lunch with the Rector, Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry on October 26, 2013.
The lunch was also attended by Mr. Adnan Afaq, President PACRA and Mr. Mudassir Aqil, President KASHF Microfinance Bank, Dean of Economics, Dr. Azam Chaudhry, Dean of Business Administration, Dr. Sohail Zaffer, Ms. Naila Hafeez, Director Corporate Relations and Ms. Atika Zaid, Manager Alumni Affairs. The Rector discussed the current economic situation of Pakistan and role and performance of banking sector in Pakistan’s economy with the guests. The Alumni shared their experiences and the challenges they have faced in their professional careers. The lunch provided a great opportunity for the bankers for interacting and networking with each other. Some suggestions were also made by the Alumni.
Read more »Labels: Alumni, Alumni Meet
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/29/2013 03:25:00 PM,
Language, Gender, and Power
Language, Gender, and Power, The Politics of Representation and Hegemony in South Asia by Shahid Siddiqui has been published.
The book focuses on the role of language as a powerful tool in representing and structuring the world. It explores how language can help construct stereotypes, identities, and human relationships. By constructing stereotypes language also manifests and perpetuates gender differences. The author examines how gender is in fact made up on a continuous basis in different linguistic and artistic expressions, e.g., sayings and proverbs, jokes, songs, films, TV plays, newspapers, theatre, and slogans behind vehicles, and reveals how these apparently playful activities strengthen gender stereotypes unnoticed. The book highlights the politics of representation and hegemony with regard to women with special reference to language. The readers are encouraged to realize that on the one hand language is a tool of control and hegemony while on the other hand it can be used to mount resistance against hegemony by reversing the discourse.
Labels: Books, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/29/2013 03:24:00 PM,
Leadership
“If you want to be a king of kings, you have to create kings”
Mr. Tariq Sayeed Saigol, Chairman Kohinoor Maple Leaf Group visited the Lahore School and gave a lecture to the graduating MBA class.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/29/2013 10:43:00 AM,
Second Annual International Conference on Entrepreneurship (ICE) “Entrepreneurship in Development”
October 23, 2013
Call for Paper
Conference and Academic Participation Invitation
Date of Conference: 8-9, Nov, 2013
Date of Conference: 8-9, Nov, 2013
Venue: Royal Palm Lahore, Pakistan
Call for Paper Deadline: 20th
Deadline for Registration 25th for all categories
Society for Urban and Rural Entrepreneurship (SURE Institute), and the Schumpeterian Entrepreneurship Society, invites the submission of abstracts or full papers for the International Conference of Entrepreneurship Lahore, Pakistan.
Participants in different scientific disciplines are invited to contribute in the context of topical issues of the conference “Entrepreneurship in Development”. That is to say a perspective on Entrepreneurship in development in developing countries and the experiences of the developed countries to gain knowledge from.
Read more »Labels: Entrepreneurship
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/23/2013 12:12:00 PM,
Lahore School Rugby
October 05, 2013
Five students of the Lahore School of Economics played from Pakistan Universities 15’s side against Indian National U19 Rugby team on October 2, 2013 at Punjab Stadium Lahore.
Lahore School of Economics Rugby players are Umair Ghuman, Saad Ahmed Khan, Husnain Haider, Ali Abid and Hasham Raja. Also, Umair Ghuman has been named Vice Captain of Pakistan Universities team.
Labels: Sports
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/05/2013 12:16:00 PM,
Seminar on Marketing Research
Lahore School organised a seminar on Marketing Research for students of MBA II (Marketing) at Mehmud Chaudhry Library on October 4, 2013. The guest speakers included Ms. Quratulain Ibrahim, CEO, TNS- Aftab Associates, Ms. Maira Hameed, Manager Marketing Research, Nestle and Mr. H. Aftab Ahmad, Chairman, TNS- Aftab Associates.
Ms. Quratulain Ibrahim started her talk with a brief introduction of TNS- Aftab Associates. She briefed the students on the company’s nature of business, different types of research, which included qualitative and quantitative research and various methods of conducting this research. The speaker highlighted some major research areas giving examples on how to design a sample for the client. She emphasized on the importance of ensuring that the data provided to the client was of high quality and hundred percent accurate. Pre-testing, field training and mock interviews were some of the techniques used. Post field data checks were conducted to guarantee data quality. “Dealing with people and getting information was the biggest challenge they had to face while doing business in Pakistan,” she said. Ms. Ibrahim also showed a video clip depicting Pakistani women in different areas of our country with reference to their culture, social and economic conditions and geographic terrains to the audience.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker, Marketing, Seminar
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/05/2013 12:12:00 PM,
Lahore Journal of Economics Special Edition
September 25, 2013
The keynote address was given by Jeffrey Hammer who spoke on governance and service delivery. The speaker outlined how market limitations in service delivery can be matched by appropriate government interventions, though the level of intervention has to be based on a careful analysis of the limitations of each sector as well as country circumstances. This paper outlines how limitations of the market can be matched to appropriate interventions by government as it actually performs, not as it is hoped to perform. This matching will, by necessity, vary with country circumstances.
Read more »Labels: Lahore Journal of Economics, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/25/2013 11:34:00 AM,
MBTI Tests
Mr. Manzar Bashir, a renowned psychometrician and Certified Master Practitioner of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test in Pakistan, was invited to the Lahore School of Economics on September 14, 2013 as a guest speaker to share his insights and expertise on the subject of personalities and the MBTI test with the students.
Mr. Bashir who is also a CIPD UK graduate, started with the introduction and historical background of the MBTI test, as well as all the sixteen types of personalities it can successfully decipher. After covering the basics of the test and enlightening students about the personality traits of some very famous celebrities, the guest conducted a class activity based on the personality traits that each student thought he or she possessed.
Students also had the opportunity to ask questions from the guest speaker and learned about the various facets of human personality. At the end of the session, Mr. Bashir was presented with a souvenir of The Lahore School of Economics.
Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/25/2013 11:09:00 AM,
Selection Coaching for business Graduates
“Smaller role in a bigger firm is better than larger role in a smaller firm”
Mr. Adeel Anwar Director OD and Training Warid Telecom was invited as the main speaker along with Ms. Amna Faisal (Lahore School) graduate who is also currently working for Warid. The topic of the day was “Selection Coaching for business Graduates.” Mr. Adeel gave tips to students on how to answer interview questions, the main technique of which was the “STAR” approach. He then spoke about the necessary “soft skills” and “hard skills” that a candidate should possess. Another important advice he gave to the students was to conduct “PEST” analysis of the company that they were applying to. The speakers also mentioned the necessary behaviors organizations look for in a successful candidate, which included traits like passion for growth, collaborative working, integrity, ownership, planning and organization, decision making power, delegation, time management and communication skills.
Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/25/2013 11:06:00 AM,
Interview Skills, Resume Writing
Kenan A. Siddiqui Regional HR Head HBL delivered a lecture on Interview Skills, Resume writing and grooming to the students of MBA II. Mr. Kenan gave a brief introduction of HBL and different banking areas. He discussed in detail the hiring process practiced by HBL as well as different banks and firms throughout the country. He then spoke about different techniques of resume writing, the roles and career paths graduates could follow and important skills required for certain jobs. The speaker also told the class that the Lahore School students are privileged to be exempted from the entry test as the degree holds a very good reputation and credibility in the market.
The last segment of the lecture was based on interview skills required, the makes and breaks of an interview and some important tips on how the candidate should dress up for an interview and what the interviewer expects from the candidate.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/25/2013 11:04:00 AM,
Lahore School Specialized Alumni Associations
To help Lahore School Alumni improve professional skills, further job prospects and enhance networking, the School has formed specialized alumni associations (Lahore School Specialized Alumni Association of Independent, Business Leaders, Bankers and Financial Analysts, Professionals in Corporate Sector, Educationists and Public Officers, Telecom and IT Specialists and Consultants, Trade Specialists and Alumni Association of Advertising and Media Professionals).
Alumni Office in the School has appointed seven secretaries to Alumni Associations from the current graduating batch. Seven faculty members have also been appointed as patrons to these associations top help Alumni in case they want any assistance in their respective fields.
Labels: Alumni
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/25/2013 10:18:00 AM,
Lahore School Alumni Dinner
September 24, 2013
A Lahore School Alumni Dinner was held at the Main Campus on September 17, 2013. Forty eight Alumni from different batches attended the dinner with Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, the Rector and other senior faculty members. The basic purpose behind the Dinner was to share their ideas regarding recently formed Lahore School Specialized Alumni Associations. The Alumni from different Specialized Alumni Associations actively took part in the event and shared their thoughts with the Rector and the Faculty members. Here are some of the images from the colorful evening:
Read more »Labels: Alumni
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9/24/2013 01:56:00 PM,
Welcome Class 2017
August 26, 2013
In Lahore School, we’re at an exciting point in our journey, and there’s never been a better time to join us. Welcome to Lahore School on behalf of 200 faculty members, 400 administrative staff and 3200 strong body of graduates and undergraduates students. Also, Congratulations on gaining a place to study at the Lahore School that is a place where wonderful things happen – whether that means acquiring a valuable new skill, or beginning a new career – so be prepared for a wealth of exciting challenges and experiences ahead!
Your next four years in the Lahore School, which are amongst the leading educational institutions in academic quality, research, quality of learning and teaching and students' placement, will educate, astonish, amuse, and challenge you. You will surely find atmosphere you need to glow your path to a brilliant career. What is more, in the process, you will also experience the pleasures of learning for learning sake. This is the time in your life when you are expected to learn vigorously, to think independently, to experiment boldly and to dream big. Lahore School, the faculty, and staff will do everything possible to guide and inspire you in the next four years.
Read more »Labels: Lahore School, Students, Welcome
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/26/2013 08:00:00 AM,
Pakistan’s economic challenges and solutions
August 19, 2013
By Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed
Ultimately the economic or material base of a society determines its politics and other societal forms and manifestations. Most certainly this adage is as true today as it was in the past, and nobody put it better than Bulleh Shah:
Panj rukan Islam de te cheyaan tukk/Cheyaan jai na hovey te panje jaande mukk.
(Islam comprises five pillars of faith, but the sixth is food/If the sixth is not available the five pillars crumble.)
Two of Pakistan’s senior most economists, Rashid Amjad and Shahid Javed Burki, have in cooperation with a galaxy of respected experts — Parvez Hasan, Afia Malik, Hamna Ahmed, Naved Hamid, Mahreen Mahmud, Hafiz A Pasha, Aisha Ghaus-Pasha, Ehtisham Ahmad, Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Ishrat Husain, Khalil Hamdani, M Irfan, G M Arif, Muhammad Imran, Sara Hayat, Eric Manes, Azam Chaudhry, Theresa Chaudhry, Muhammad Haseeb, Uzma Afzal, Akmal Hussain and Khalid Ikram — taken up cudgels on behalf of the citizens of Pakistan for a programme of change and transformation. This if pursued with sincerity and discipline can help Pakistan achieve the necessary break with the sordid past of missed opportunities and spoilt chances of the last 66 years. No doubt Pakistan is in dire straits at present.
Labels: Books, Pakistan Economy, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/19/2013 09:57:00 AM,
It’s Time to Take the Bus!
August 16, 2013
Ahmad I. Chaudhary
Rapid motorization and traffic congestion are becoming a major challenge for large cities in the developing world, and generating significant economic and social costs. In Cairo, for instance, the World Bank estimates that congestion costs are as high as US$8 billion or 4% of the city’s GDP. The breakneck pace of urbanization in developing countries will exacerbate this trend, with the total urban population of the developing world expected to double from 2 billion to 4 billion between 2000 and 2030.
Source: World Bank (data compiled in 2012; for some countries only data from previous years were available)
In this context, the role of public bus services is bound to evolve significantly. While bus systems were previously focused on providing affordable transport services to the urban poor, they must now become a mode of choice even for those who can afford a private vehicle, and need to be part of a more comprehensive urban mobility strategy to mitigate the effects of rapid motorization. This creates a challenge: how can bus services meet their social objectives and remain affordable but also provide better service in order to attract car owners and initiate that behavior change?
Read more »Labels: Alumni, Urbanization
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/16/2013 12:08:00 PM,
Need of Information Literacy in Universities
July 07, 2013
Ms. Qaisra Riaz Jaswal, Librarian at Lahore School of Economics, delivered a paper in conference on Future of Libraries in the Internet Age that was held in Islamabad at Pakistan Institue of Nuclear Science and Technology Nilore on June, 2013.
Qaisra Riaz discussed the need of information literacy and why information Literacy is important in universities and shared with the tips, techniques and strategies about information literacy and how Librarians can play a vital role to develop the information literacy and how users specially students can retrieve the relevant information according to their need in Universities.
Read more »Labels: Lahore School
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 7/07/2013 10:34:00 AM,
Advertising proposals
June 29, 2013
Two advertising gurus, Mr. Asad Rizvi from Orient McCANN and Mr. Shehzad Ahmed from Farighfour came to the Lahore School of Economics to address students of MBA on June 21, 2013. Their presentations were based on functions of an advertising agency and the process of making a proposal for the client.
Mr. Ahmed while providing insights of an advertising agency described the structure and role of different departments in an advertising agency. According to the guest, the account management unit played a vital role in an advertising agency. It basically bridges the gap between agency and the client. The account management department is responsible for daily liaison, providing deadlines, outlining budgets and so on so forth. He added that a typical account manager would no be able to sell the idea but a great account manager would always think like a brand manager and would know how to sell an idea. The guest while talking about creativity explained that creativity was all about breaking the norms. Mr. Ahmed said that creative department was the think tank of the agency. The advertising agency is responsible for everything starting with the brand positioning all the way to 360 degrees campaign. The creative department creates an idea and art/design department brings it to shape.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/29/2013 03:36:00 PM,
Entrepreneurial Success
June 28, 2013
Mr. Salman Siddiqui from Ehsan Chappal House came to the Lahore School of Economics to deliver a lecture on entrepreneurship on June 19, 2013. The speaker introduced himself to the students and explained how his father started the shoe business. His father had a clear vision and was a man of principles. Mr. Salman after finishing his degree in Business Administration began to work with a brokerage firm but soon realized that it was not what he wanted to do all his life. He had a strong sense of esthetics and nack for designing shoes so he joined his family business. His father owned a small shoe store in Anarkali since 1954. After joining ECS, Mr. Siddiqui opened a store in Liberty Market which was a huge success followed by many more stores opening in different cities of Pakistan. The speaker shared with students that initially it was very difficult to design a formal business plan for shoemaking as there was no business model available in the market to follow. They had to come up with a proper inventory management system which was one of the biggest challenges he had to face. The rule of thumb for ECS management was never to borrow and always expand within their financial means.
Based on his experience, the guest advised the students that Entrepreneurship was all about leaving bookish knowledge behind, recognizing and believing in themselves and getting out of their comfort zones. Mr. Salman said that Pakistan was a land of opportunities and one should never be hesitant to pursue their dreams. Talking about shoe business in particular, he said that the key factor of their success was knowing the customer and then providing an extra value to him. He said that shoe was a technical product which could not be standardized. The sales volume compensates for low pricing of shoes at their shops. Mr. Salman said that they did not focus too much on their competitors. Their products have already been positioned in market well so they do not spend huge amount of money on advertising.
Read more »Labels: Entrepreneurship, Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/28/2013 10:45:00 AM,
Retail Banking
Mr. Shahid Sattar, SEVP and Group Head Retail Banking at UBL gave a talk to the students of MBA on June 19, 2013. His talk revolved around retail banking and its functions. The speaker said that banking was now both number focused and marketing driven. Lot of innovation and revolution had taken place in the banking sector in the past few years. Foreign banks used to perform quite well in Pakistan but things had changed since the privatization of local banks.
Mr. Shahid Sattar added that two key differentiating factors for any bank included technology and customer service. The speaker enlightened the students on how banks were using social media to advertise. Mr. Sattar shared the structure of a bank and described functions and operations of various departments in a bank. He is depth discussed different areas of retail banking. The speaker explained how products in a bank were created and then marketed and how sales and customer services were managed. He further added that retail banking was a combination of branch banking, consumer products, marketing and consumer lending. Hierarchy of a retail bank was then discussed with the students.
Labels: Banking Industry, Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/28/2013 10:45:00 AM,
Promotions Management
Promotions Management seminar was held in Lahore School of Economics on June 15, 2013. Mr Usman Bhatty, Country Head Nestle Waters and Mr. Khurram Mehr Malik GM Marketing from Haleeb Foods were the distinguished guests.
Mr. Usman Bhatty discussed the case of Nestle Pure Life with zinc and presented it in a very interesting and attention grabbing manner. The idea behind developing Nestle Pure life with zinc was mother’s instinct to protect. Nestle discussed the idea with its advertising agency which came up with a proposition of adding shield to Nestle pure life’s logo to symbolize protection. The new logo was then sent for approval to Nestle head office in Paris but it got rejected at first. As a result of reinvention the advertising agency came up with a new logo, depicting shield in a slightly smaller size and in a different color.
Labels: Promotions Management
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/28/2013 10:45:00 AM,
Federal Budget
June 12, 2013
Pakistan Economic Survey 2012-13
Federal Budget 2013-14
Labels: Budget, Economic Survey
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/12/2013 04:44:00 PM,
Linocut Printing
June 03, 2013
The Lahore School of Economics Society of Arts (LSSA) hosted three hour "Linocut Printing" and "Mono Printing" workshops on Sunday, May 19, 2013. Shahid Mirza guded the students about basic one color printmaking practice for making linocut and tracing. Participants were guided through planning a print, transferring an image to a rubber sheet, carving, and printing by hand. The finished linocuts could be used to create note cards, bookmarks, limited edition prints for T-shirts.
Read more »
Labels: Art
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/03/2013 10:45:00 AM,
Contribution of agriculture sector to Pakistan economy
Mrs. Roohi Raees Khan, Chief Operating Officer at Zarai Taraqiati Bank was the distinguished guest speaker at Lahore School of Economics on May 20, 2013.
Mrs. Khan started with presenting the facts and figures regarding contribution of agriculture sector to the Pakistan economy. Agriculture contributes 21% to the total GDP of Pakistan and 62% of total population resides in agriculture sector. It provides employment to 25% of total population of our country.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/03/2013 09:00:00 AM,
Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward
May 30, 2013
Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward by Rashid Amjad and Shahid Javed Burki was launched at Lahore School of Economic this morning. Here is an overview of the book.
The central question that the contributors to this volume seek to answer is how to reverse the current prolonged period of low growth and high inflation—stagflation—that the country has experienced over the past five years, and to suggest and implement measures that would decisively move the economy onto a higher, more sustainable growth path.
Eight key messages emerge from the studies presented in this volume:
The first is the urgent need to revive investment, which has fallen dismally to 12.5 percent of GDP in 2011/12 from its peak of 22.5 percent in 2006/07, by improving the investment climate and removing binding constraints—especially in energy—on new domestic and foreign investment. Pakistan needs to increase its investment-to-GDP ratio to over 30 percent over the next decade if it is to generate sufficient employment to productively employ its fast-growing labor force and compete effectively with other rapidly growing developing countries. However, in the medium term, investment may continue to be constrained by resource availability and so, in the near future, a large part of the revival of growth will have to come from exploiting unused capacity and productivity gains.
The second is that Pakistan’s economic problems are basically structural and not just cyclical in nature. Deep economic reforms are needed to remove structural imbalances to increase efficiency and competitiveness, and to spur entrepreneurship and innovation in the economy. Undertaking these reforms will require political will and a carefully sequenced pace of critical reforms so as to ease the burden of adjustment.
The third is to overcome the binding constraints to Pakistan’s growth in order to revive the economy and ensure sustainable growth. These include overcoming the crippling energy shortage, increasing revenues to regain macroeconomic stability and reduce the current unsustainable fiscal deficit, and ensuring the availability of water to meet the needs of the agricultural economy.
Read more »
The third is to overcome the binding constraints to Pakistan’s growth in order to revive the economy and ensure sustainable growth. These include overcoming the crippling energy shortage, increasing revenues to regain macroeconomic stability and reduce the current unsustainable fiscal deficit, and ensuring the availability of water to meet the needs of the agricultural economy.
Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/30/2013 02:06:00 PM,
Pakistan’s Top Economists Suggest Way Forward: Book Launch
Dr Ishrat Hussain, former Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Director IBA Karachi called for bridging the gap between policy-making and research. He also called for a balance between civil servants who should look at pure technical feasibility of proposals, and politicians, who should assess their political feasibility. He said that implementation and delivery of services was the crux of the problem rather than ‘good’ economic policies. He also recommended minimal role of federal government and a separation between regulatory bodies and policy-making, as well as supporting the operational autonomy of companies’ Board of Directors. He was chairing the launch of a book edited by Dr Rashid Amjad and Mr Shahid Javed Burki, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward on Thursday 30th May at the Lahore School of Economics, Main Campus, Burki Road. He appreciated the editors of the book for publishing it in a short period of time and for its timeliness and the potential assistance it could provide to the new government in Islamabad.
Introducing the book, Dr Amjad, who is Director of Graduate Institute of Development Studies at LSE, said that the central question which the book addressed was how to reverse the current prolonged period of low growth and high inflation in the country –stagflation - over the past five years, and to suggest and implement measures that would decisively move the economy onto a higher, more sustainable growth path. He put forward eight key messages namely to revive investment, the structural rather than cylical nature of Pakistan’s problems, overcoming growth constraints, the major growth drivers, improving economic management and reducing corruption, inclusive as opposed to merely sustained and higher growth, the responsibility of federating units and the role of state and private sector. He also recommended increasing investment from the current 12.5% of GDP to 30% to generate enough productive employment to compete internationally.
Read more »Labels: Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/30/2013 01:30:00 PM,
Launch of Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward
May 29, 2013
The central question which the book addresses is how to reverse the current prolonged period of low growth and high inflation in the country – stagflation - over the past five years, and to suggest and implement measures that would decisively move the economy onto a higher, more sustainable growth path.
The book includes contributions by eminent economists and national policymakers including former State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain, former Minister of Finance Dr Hafiz Pasha, former Vice-President World Bank Shahid Javed Burki, former Chief Economist World Bank Dr Pervez Hasan, former Vice-Chancellor PIDE Dr Rashid Amjad, and prominent economists including Dr Naved Hamid, Dr Ehtisham Ahmed, Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Dr Azam Chaudhry and others from a multidimensional perspective.
Labels: Books, Pakistan, Pakistan Economy, Pakistan: Moving the Economy Forward, Publications
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/29/2013 04:05:00 PM,
Career and Personal Development
Usman Gillani, the Manager Career Counseling and Corporate Relations at the Institute of Career and Personal Development and Alumni from class of 2003 was invited to Lahore school on May 28, 2013 to give talk to the MBA graduating class of 2013. Mr. Gillani briefed the students on resume writing and how to appear in an interview. He talked about how to plan your career and what the current job market situation is.
Read more »Labels: Alumni
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/29/2013 09:38:00 AM,
Sketching Workshop
April 10, 2013
Lahore School Society of Arts (LSSA) organized a sketching workshop on March 3, 2013 at Lahore School Liberty Campus. The students were provided with professional setup and all sketching materials to teach them the basic skills. Shahid Mirza from Arts and Media Studies at Lahore School of Economics Liberty Campus conducted the workshop; a lecture on how to sketch a portrait and practice to make a sketch with models sitting in front of them. In the second session different portraits from news paper were given to the students and were taught how to sketch.
Labels: Extra Curricular
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/10/2013 03:50:00 PM,
Lahore School Society of Literature Recitation Competition
Lahore School Society of Literature (LSSL) organized an inter institution poetry/prose recitation competition which consisted a total of 9 schools and colleges including the home team on February 28, 2013. LSSL has been conducting this event on intra basis but this was the first time that students from other institutions were invited to become part of this exuberant experience.
Each institution was represented by two students, one for English category and the other for Punjabi/Urdu category.
Read more »Labels: Debates
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/10/2013 03:50:00 PM,
Trip to Art Galleries
Lahore School Society of Arts (LSSA) arranged a trip to Art Galleries Feb 9, 2013. The purpose of this trip was to provide the young artists of Lahore School of Economics a source of inspiration, and to make them aware of the artwork of other artists of Pakistan. Students were first guided to "Rohtas Art Gallery" - a private gallery - where they got to see the beautiful artwork of "Sculptures". The next visit was made to Ejaz Art Gallery - a big and the only commercial art gallery located at M M Alam Road.
Labels: Extra Curricular
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/10/2013 03:48:00 PM,
Career prospects for fresh graduates
April 09, 2013
Brig. Taimur Afzal, Director Human Resource at Qarshi visited the Lahore School of Economics on April 4, 2013 to give a talk to the students of BBA IV about career prospects for fresh graduates and how to prepare themselves for a job interview.
Nobody could get a second chance for making a first impression so one should be well prepared for his first meeting with the potential employer. Knowing own true interests, writing them down and then choosing the company that could serve those interests is the best way.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/09/2013 09:17:00 AM,
Career options
April 05, 2013
Mr. Kenan Siddiqui, Regional Manager Central Human Resources at HBL visited the Lahore School of Economics to give a talk to the students of BBA on April 3, 2013.
Mr. Siddiqui talked about career options in banking, interview techniques and the skills required by fresh graduates to enter the Banking sector and emphasized that sale is a universal skill that could be used in all the segments and departments of a business. He also explained the difference between SME, Retail and Corporate Banking and described what skill sets were required in these different sectors of Banking.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/05/2013 04:24:00 PM,
Social entrepreneurship
April 04, 2013
Ms. Ashba Kamran, Social Entrepreneur and founder of Foundation of Rehabilitation and Education of Special Children (FRESH) came to the Lahore School of Economics on April 2, 2013 to give a talk on Social entrepreneurship to the students of BBA IV in the Mahmood Chaudhry Library.
Ms. Kamran explained the reason behind the creation of FRESH. When she found out that her son was suffering from Developmental Delayed Syndrome, she wanted her child to be as normal and competent as other children. Realizing that there was a complete absence of professional help in the form of supportive information for parents and educational options, she was motivated to help others suffering from the same problem and thus FRESH was found with an aim to provide quality education and vocational training for children with special needs and for slow learners.
Read more »Labels: Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2013 10:31:00 AM,
Career choices
March 26, 2013
Lahore School of Economics invited Mr. Adeel Anwar, Head of Organizational Development at Warid to deliver a lecture on interviewing skills on March 25, 2013.
Mr. Anwar started by explaining the difference between skill and competency. He advised the students to display variety of competencies in their interview in order to leave a good impression. The speaker said that creating a competency was an investment by an organization and in return it wanted the employee to deliver quality. The guest touched upon the competencies that were pre requisite for entering any organization. The list included integrity, fair mindedness, congenial personality, ability to cope with conflicting point of views, function under pressure and demonstrating discretion. The speaker said that the interviewee should keep in mind the examples of incidents where he/she had displayed these competencies and should always share these incidents with the interviewer when asked. The speaker advised the students to always keep in mind their areas of improvements and they should try to work towards making that weakness their strength. The guest also discussed the hard skills required at entry level. In this regard he threw light on computer proficiency, communication skills, analytical skills and knowledge of industry.
Read more »Labels: Career, Guest Speaker
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/26/2013 10:49:00 AM,
Interviewing Skills
March 25, 2013
Mr. Jawad Gilani, Head of Learning and Development Central, Habib Bank Limited (also an alumnus of the Lahore School and has also taught at Lahore School for a little while) came to Lahore School of Economics and gave a lecture on Interviewing Skills to the students of BBA IV on March 13, 2013.
Read more »
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/25/2013 01:59:00 PM,
Microinsurance in Pakistan: Progress, Problems, and Prospects
March 21, 2013
Dr. Theresa Chaudhry
It is difficult to say what the impact of microinsurance has been in Pakistan, since rigorous evaluations have not been conducted to date. What we do know is that utilization has been low, but gradually increasing as households become more aware of the coverage that they have. In the short to medium term, microinsurance outreach could be extended through offering health insurance coverage to the entire household of microcredit borrowers, and by offering microinsurance to all members of the rural support programs, rather than only its borrowers and spouses. Partnering with mobile phone operators for payments could reduce the transaction costs. Provinces could use the existing database of households and poverty scorecards executed by BISP to target subsidized microinsurance policies to poor households above the BISP threshold.
Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/21/2013 04:22:00 PM,
Human Development and Economic Vulnerability
The UNDP’S Human Development Index (HDI) has been employed widely for focusing on the nexus between the human development and economic growth. The index’s simplicity in characterizing development as a composite of achievements in health, education and income has made it a particularly useful tool for advocacy purposes and in de-emphasizing a growth-centric view of development.
Dr. Syeda Rabab Mudakkar
HDI’s has also invited much criticism of two broad categories: (i) choice of development dimensions, and (ii) its functional form. In response the HDI has undergone many revisions since its inception in 1990. In the latest revision, UNDP (2010), the HDI has undergone major changes to the included indicators and its functional form. Klugman et al. (2011) and Lustig (2011) explain in detail the rationale behind the new HDI, while Ravallion (2010) offers a critical view. The 2010-HDI, however, basically keeps the same three-dimensional structure. To address a major criticism that the HDI neglected within country inequality, three additional indices are introduced: the Inequality-Adjusted HDI, the Gender Inequality Index, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index.
Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/21/2013 04:21:00 PM,
Social Protection and Human Development: Two Programs in Pakistan
Dr Ijaz Nabi
Pakistan has launched a far reaching social protection programs. The federal government’s Benazir Income Support Program has, at its core, an unconditional cash grant for the poorest households. Responding to the concern that this runs the risk of creating a large pool of permanent government handouts, the federal government has also launched an ambitious skills development program. At the provincial level, the government of Punjab is implementing skills development as social welfare in the four poorest Southern Punjab districts. The paper discusses the structure of the two programs, their success at reaching the poor and the monitoring challenges to assess their overall effectiveness.
Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/21/2013 04:21:00 PM,
Increased Rural connectivity and its effects on health outcomes
This paper explores the impact of increasing openness and connectivity of rural areas to the outside world on health outcomes and awareness levels. The focus is on in rural Pakistan with outcomes being examined over a fifteen year period. In particular, the paper studies whether improved access to markets for rural areas through a widening (and/or upgraded) road network has had a positive impact on child nutritional status as measured by height-for-age and incidence of illness. Moreover, the paper also studies if awareness regarding health practices, including immunization and breastfeeding has improved as accessibility to villages has bettered. The analysis uses the IFPRI-PIDE panel data where the IFPRI data covers the 1986 – 1991 period while the PIDE Pakistan Rural Household Survey was conducted in 2001-2002 and 2003-2004.
Dr. Hadia Majid
I use the panel aspect of the data to isolate inter-generational changes in health-related outcomes. I estimate a linear regression to examine the effect of increased access to urban markets. I also estimate a family fixed effects model so as to inspect differences in health outcomes at the intra-household level. The results suggest that as roads improve and rural markets become more integrated with urban ones, health outcomes witness a positive affect at the aggregate level with differences at the intra-household level, particularly those between the genders, declining.
Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/21/2013 02:46:00 PM,
Using Information Communication Technology (ICT) to improve health worker performance in Punjab, Pakistan
Pakistan has a large and dispersed primary public health system, which provides citizens access to trained doctors and staff, and to subsidized medicines. Despite the existence of this system, both the use of the facilities and health outcomes remain low. Improvements in Information Communications
Dr. Ali Hasanain
Technology (ICT) provide exciting opportunities to leverage technology to improve management. This paper presents a detailed qualitative and quantitative look at the institutional context in which such interventions in the public health sector in Punjab would be trialed in. First, we describe the structure and management of primary healthcare facilities. Next, we describe selected results from a survey of a representative sample of Basic Health Units (BHUs), and identify some key issues. Then, we report officials’ responses to the question of how services might be improved. Finally, we discuss some of these responses and conclude.
Labels: Management of Pakistan Economy
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/21/2013 02:40:00 PM,
City Campus
104 - C, Gulberg III,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Phones: 92-42-35714936, 38474385
Fax: 92-42-36560905
Main Campus
Intersection Main Boulevard Phase VI
Burki Road
Lahore, Pakistan.
Phones: 37254099, 37254311
