Shaikh, Plato and the convocation

Finance minister slams elite for not paying taxes, opposing reforms.

KARACHI: Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh quoted Plato in a bid to encourage fresh graduates to opt for public service.

He was addressing the convocation ceremony of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) on Saturday, where some 700 students received degrees in business management and other disciplines.

“One-third of the country’s population is below the poverty line and the elite are still reluctant to pay taxes and are resisting reforms,” said Shaikh. However, keeping the atmosphere congenial, he focused on unity during his speech.

He gave the example of how Pakistanis across the globe had united to help their country after the devastating floods wreaked havoc in all provinces and left an area more than the size of the United Kingdom (UK) inundated.

He admitted, though, that public-private partnership is best displayed in the education sector.

“There are some services, like defence, which only the government can provide, while there are some only the private sector can. But both can work together to bring atop the education sector.”

While asserting that democracy was headed in the right direction, Shaikh pointed out that provincial governments had been given more power – with a 50 per cent increase in funds for vital social services like education, health and drinking water.

Expressing hope of the economy coming back on track, the finance minister highlighted that exports touched an all-time high in October, with an increase of 26.1 per cent to $1.99 billion.

IoBM President Shahjehan Karim, who came to the quorum after a huge round of applause, said that within a decade and a half of its existence IoBM had attained national and international recognition.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2010.