The latest crisis that has Pakistani’s from all walks of life up in arms is the lack of electrical power throughout the country. While rolling blackouts or load shedding as its locally known has always been a staple of daily life in Pakistan, the problem has become acute in the last couple of years. In the second half of December, the situation got so bad that WAPDA & KESC (power generation entities in Pakistan) resorted to draconian levels of load shedding. The power cuts during this time amounted to 20-22 hours a day in most small cities and even cities like Karachi were seeing 18+ hours of load shedding
Notwithstanding the systemic issues such as the failure to build new dams and previous Government’s inability to add even a single megawatt of new power to the grid during 9 years of its rule, it seems that the present crisis is a result of bad management and the lack of foresight. The total installed capacity of WAPDA and KESC totals around 19,500 megawatts. Almost two third of this power comes from thermal power plants (fossil fuels), one third is generated by water and about 2% comes from nuclear power plants.
The demand for electricity in Pakistan during the winter months actually goes down and this winter has not been an exception. Throughout the month of December, the electricity consumption in Pakistan hovered around 11,000 MW, down from the peak levels of 17,500 MW seen in summer. This demand was well within the installed capacity of WAPDA & KESC yet they were only generating a meager one third (6500MW) of their maximum capacity during this period leaving a huge gap between supply and demand. Their are two main reasons for this:
1. The water flow from all major dams was halted starting mid December to allow the annual cleaning of canals in January. This action effectively took all the hydro power off line.
2. The thermal power plants were working far below their potential due to the lack of money caused by the circular debt between various government agencies reaching a staggering 400 billion Rupees.
None of these issues could have possibly come as a surprise to the present government yet they choose to do nothing until violent anti government protests erupted in all major cities. A couple of days ago the President of Pakistan finally convened a summit of all stakeholders and since then the situation has improved somewhat but this fiasco provides another example of the misplaced priorities of our democratically elected leaders.
Instead of issuing stamps and coins bearing Benazir’s logo and dedicating existing airports to her name, they should focus on the plight of everyday people and try to make their lives a little bit better. Everyone understands that Pakistan is facing serious problems requiring long term solutions and the present government can’t be expected to make significant headway in the short term, yet there are things where it can make a difference. Eliminating load shedding during the winter months could just be one of them.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Social Problems in Pakistan
A harmful social condition can be identified as a certain noxious factor in a society evoking distress and uncertainty. This harmful social condition becomes a social problem when a number of competing needs linger for long. Any country and its habitants have a crave for needs such as food, shelter and education that need to be fulfilled and in case they are not satisfied they become social enigmas’.
Today Pakistan is facing child labour, poverty, illiteracy, population growth, diseases, terrorism, smuggling, drug abuse, discrimination of sex, and deviant behavior as its social problems. 61.2% of Pakistanis are illiterate.
This thinking pattern and behavior initially has targeted the political setup making it a laughing stock not only for others but also for its own people as well. Many have considered this generating distrust of the government in dealing with the social issues as an act of self-preservation. It is not only the poor performance of political class but also the use of such sources that make there public image controversial.
Today Pakistan is facing child labour, poverty, illiteracy, population growth, diseases, terrorism, smuggling, drug abuse, discrimination of sex, and deviant behavior as its social problems. 61.2% of Pakistanis are illiterate.
This thinking pattern and behavior initially has targeted the political setup making it a laughing stock not only for others but also for its own people as well. Many have considered this generating distrust of the government in dealing with the social issues as an act of self-preservation. It is not only the poor performance of political class but also the use of such sources that make there public image controversial.
Excessive Population
7th highest population world wide (2000) 142,000,000
Taxes world and local resources Water, land, fossil fuels
3rd largest population by 2050 2.17 current growth rate Not expected to significantly decrease
World carrying capacity not definite Pakistan adds to the strain
Simply put, the world can only support so many people with the resources that we have available to us. These scarce resources include fresh water, fossil fuels, and food that the earth provides. No one knows exactly what the carrying capacity of the earth is, however we do know that there is a finite number of people who can live on this planet. It is not desirable to reach this point, where our resources limit us to a point where growth is impossible. To avoid this situation we need to begin working towards lower population growth rates in every country around the world. It is especially important, though, to limit those growth rates in countries where they are highest and have the greatest potential to reach these undesirable limits.
7th highest population world wide (2000) 142,000,000
Taxes world and local resources Water, land, fossil fuels
3rd largest population by 2050 2.17 current growth rate Not expected to significantly decrease
World carrying capacity not definite Pakistan adds to the strain
Simply put, the world can only support so many people with the resources that we have available to us. These scarce resources include fresh water, fossil fuels, and food that the earth provides. No one knows exactly what the carrying capacity of the earth is, however we do know that there is a finite number of people who can live on this planet. It is not desirable to reach this point, where our resources limit us to a point where growth is impossible. To avoid this situation we need to begin working towards lower population growth rates in every country around the world. It is especially important, though, to limit those growth rates in countries where they are highest and have the greatest potential to reach these undesirable limits.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
which one of the following is the most serious problem/challenge which pakistan is facing presently?
1. poverty
2. illiteracy
3. corruption
3. terrorism/secterianism
4. foreign debt
5. restoration/promotion of democracy
6. water crisis
7. lack of leadership
8. population explosion
9. pollution
10.provincial disharmony ??
1. poverty
2. illiteracy
3. corruption
3. terrorism/secterianism
4. foreign debt
5. restoration/promotion of democracy
6. water crisis
7. lack of leadership
8. population explosion
9. pollution
10.provincial disharmony ??
Monday, March 8, 2010
Poverty
Uneducated population unattractive to foreign business Difficult to recruit foreign businesses
Only 38 million of 142 million make up work force 7% unemployment, but 34% of people in poverty
No foreign investment Pakistan remains poor
Deeply linked to the massive debt and poorly educated people, is the large portion of Pakistan's population that lives in poverty. With an average of 2,000 dollars of GDP per person (adjusted for purchasing power parity), the average citizen is forced to live off very limited resources. This is reflected in the fact that 34% of the population lives below the poverty line, despite a mere 7% unemployment. Pakistan's lack of fiscal resources is yet another barrier against foreign investment. Without foreign investment, Pakistan lacks the resources to bring about positive economic development. Without positive economic development, Pakistan is unable to attract foreign investors. Without foreign investors... you get the point.
Only 38 million of 142 million make up work force 7% unemployment, but 34% of people in poverty
No foreign investment Pakistan remains poor
Deeply linked to the massive debt and poorly educated people, is the large portion of Pakistan's population that lives in poverty. With an average of 2,000 dollars of GDP per person (adjusted for purchasing power parity), the average citizen is forced to live off very limited resources. This is reflected in the fact that 34% of the population lives below the poverty line, despite a mere 7% unemployment. Pakistan's lack of fiscal resources is yet another barrier against foreign investment. Without foreign investment, Pakistan lacks the resources to bring about positive economic development. Without positive economic development, Pakistan is unable to attract foreign investors. Without foreign investors... you get the point.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Education
61.2% of Pakistan illiterate 50.0% male illiteracy
75.6% female illiteracy
Limits opportunities of women
Women don't enter workforce Poorly educated about family planning No control of population
Perhaps the greatest loss comes in the area of education. Whether or not this is a direct result of Pakistan's economic problems, it is undoubtedly connected. With so many resources directed towards the aforementioned debt payment, educational improvements are given and inordinately low priority. In addition, Musharraf's military dictatorship has understandably not placed great emphasis on education in Pakistan. This is evident upon examination of Pakistan's overall literacy rate of 37.8% (50% for men and 24.4% for women). Literacy being defined as those over 15 who can read and write.
In terms of population, low literacy rates are often observed with high population growth. A poorly educated population is unlikely to participate in family planning or any other form of population control. Secondarily, a poorly educated populace makes Pakistan a poor choice for the foreign investors that it so desperately needs. Furthermore, the extremely low literacy rate among Pakistani women (24.4%) lends itself to a society where most women never enter the labor force, creating less incentives for them to limit the size of their families. This is best illustrated by the fact that only 38 million of Pakistan's 141 million people make up the entire labor force.
75.6% female illiteracy
Limits opportunities of women
Women don't enter workforce Poorly educated about family planning No control of population
Perhaps the greatest loss comes in the area of education. Whether or not this is a direct result of Pakistan's economic problems, it is undoubtedly connected. With so many resources directed towards the aforementioned debt payment, educational improvements are given and inordinately low priority. In addition, Musharraf's military dictatorship has understandably not placed great emphasis on education in Pakistan. This is evident upon examination of Pakistan's overall literacy rate of 37.8% (50% for men and 24.4% for women). Literacy being defined as those over 15 who can read and write.
In terms of population, low literacy rates are often observed with high population growth. A poorly educated population is unlikely to participate in family planning or any other form of population control. Secondarily, a poorly educated populace makes Pakistan a poor choice for the foreign investors that it so desperately needs. Furthermore, the extremely low literacy rate among Pakistani women (24.4%) lends itself to a society where most women never enter the labor force, creating less incentives for them to limit the size of their families. This is best illustrated by the fact that only 38 million of Pakistan's 141 million people make up the entire labor force.
Monstrous Debt
Pakistan's chief problem is a monstrous debt. Without monetary resources with which to fight the numerous problems of the nation, Pakistan remains overpopulated and poor.
Sources of debt Large military spending Long, costly war with India
Trade imbalance Imports exceed exports
Power/Fossil fuel issues
Debt controls budget Loans total 25% of revenues
Loan repayments equal 50% of expenditures
Social, economic, and educational programs lose
The debt accrued by Pakistan has come from several sources. Primarily this debt has accumulated due to the continuing conflict with India over the Kashmir region. Kashmir is a predominantly Muslim state within India. As such, the possession of this region has been a source of contention between mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. This border conflict has been raging on and off for the last half of the twentieth century. Due to these hostilities, the Pakistani government spends roughly one fifth of its budget on its military, further limiting potential spending on social improvements and programs.
Another factor in the large debt, is Pakistan's dependence on foreign oil and other imported fossil fuels. As a nation, Pakistan uses 350,000 barrels of oil per day. Of this, 293,000 barrels per day are imported. Also, 1.1 million short tons of coal are imported each year. The combination of these two alone make up a huge part of the over one billion dollar trade deficit. These resources are used primarily for the generation of power.
Due to all of these sources of debt, half of government expenditures are dedicated to fulfilling debt repayment obligations. In order to finance these payments, additional grants and loans are required each year totaling approximately 25% of revenues. This prevents Pakistan from devoting significant resources to economic development and/or social improvements.
Sources of debt Large military spending Long, costly war with India
Trade imbalance Imports exceed exports
Power/Fossil fuel issues
Debt controls budget Loans total 25% of revenues
Loan repayments equal 50% of expenditures
Social, economic, and educational programs lose
The debt accrued by Pakistan has come from several sources. Primarily this debt has accumulated due to the continuing conflict with India over the Kashmir region. Kashmir is a predominantly Muslim state within India. As such, the possession of this region has been a source of contention between mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan. This border conflict has been raging on and off for the last half of the twentieth century. Due to these hostilities, the Pakistani government spends roughly one fifth of its budget on its military, further limiting potential spending on social improvements and programs.
Another factor in the large debt, is Pakistan's dependence on foreign oil and other imported fossil fuels. As a nation, Pakistan uses 350,000 barrels of oil per day. Of this, 293,000 barrels per day are imported. Also, 1.1 million short tons of coal are imported each year. The combination of these two alone make up a huge part of the over one billion dollar trade deficit. These resources are used primarily for the generation of power.
Due to all of these sources of debt, half of government expenditures are dedicated to fulfilling debt repayment obligations. In order to finance these payments, additional grants and loans are required each year totaling approximately 25% of revenues. This prevents Pakistan from devoting significant resources to economic development and/or social improvements.
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