Media watch: Post flood economy

Media analyses the state of doing business in Pakistan in the post flood economy, pointing out essential needs.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

A poverty of aid

It is erroneous to consider ourselves in a ‘post-flood’ situation. The floods are persisting for many who remain displaced, their land still under water and the crop that should have been in the ground and growing now, lost. For many of these people they will lose two crop cycles, leaving them aid-dependent for three cycles – a year, at least. (thenews.com.pk)

Floods to cast shadow on business

But doubters, independent economists and businessmen question even this reduced expectation. Their reasons: besides the flood devastation, Pakistan is moving into a tighter grip of the ongoing energy crunch, low industrial and farm output, growing supply-side problems of food and overall inflation, the government’s widening budgetary deficit and growing spending on the ongoing war against terror – Muhammad Aftab (dailytimes.com.pk)

Bettering conditions of doing business

An unending energy crisis has adversely impacted business activity all over the country. Industries Minister Mir Hazaar Khan Bijarani told the Senate on Thursday that as many as 1,579 industrial units folded operations during the last five years. The recent floods have further depressed the prospects for improvement. The State Bank has revised the projected growth rate from 4.5 to 2.5, which will mean fewer jobs and further social unrest. (brecorder.com)

Education for development

A simple definition of sustainable development that is cited by Unesco suggests that sustainable development seeks “to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations”. The concept of sustainable development, thus, is incomplete without education and a literate society. It is through education that one learns useful skills, ideas, values and thoughts to become a thinking citizen of society - Dr Shahid Siddiqui (dawn.com)