The 100 days mantra

There is something about the 100 Days mantra that new governments find attractive. It trips off the tongue easily; weaves well into soundbites and headlines and gives the public at large the impression that somewhere there are a lot of people busy doing very important things. They may well be, and miracles may be performed in the centurion days — but there is equally the possibility that they make new governments hostages to fortune tagged with a rotting albatross around their necks.

As things stand it could go either way for the PTI government. Campaign promises have begun to drop like autumn leaves, the one about not taking the begging bowl to other countries in search of a bailout being the latest. The recent foray to Saudi Arabia by PM Imran Khan and his team proved barren and the return visit by a Saudi delegation was equally fruitless. The Adviser to the PM on commerce made clear his discomfort at the attempt to drum up funds when he spoke at a meeting convened to set targets for the next 100 days, and to improve the national rankings on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing business Index. The government has already announced a range of reforms but the World Bank and the IMF view many of them as marginal and not getting to the reformative core that is essential if the country is to be turned from a path of economic ruin.

‘The 100 Days — Sprint-III to Doing Business Reform Plan’ to facilitate businesses and improve the investment climate in the country is like so much else emanating from the new dispensation — almost impossible to fault on paper but something of a logistical nightmare to turn into hard reality. It seeks to revise laws and simplify regulations — entirely laudable, but time-consuming and well beyond 100 days. The plan is commendably inclusive and has a genuine sense of vision, but it also lacks detail in terms of implementation and it is now shackled to the 100 day mantra. A piece of advice — lose the 100 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2018.

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