By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: A World Bank survey has revealed that poverty in Pakistan was reduced by 50 percent on consumption-led growth of the economy under the rule of the former president, Pervez Musharraf.
“The percentage of the people living below the poverty line in Pakistan fell from 34.5 percent in 2001/02 to 17.2 percent in 2007/08,” World Bank said in its Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) paper, based on a survey conducted in fiscal year 2007/08. The bank is going to provide $6 billion to Pakistan on the basis of CPS findings.
According to Planning Commission officials, the PPP-led government asked the commission to conceal the results of the survey because the poverty started rising after the Musharraf’s regime.
According to the WB survey, poverty in urban areas fell from 22.7 percent in 2001/02 to 10.1 percent in 2007/08. In rural areas, it declined from 39.3 percent in 2001 to 20.6 percent in 2007/08, it said.
“This progress was a result of growth in real per adult consumption expenditure and declining inequality from 2005/06 to 2007/08,” the report said.
Key human development indicators of educational attainment, health outcomes and unemployment rates also corroborated these figures, the officials said.
The report showed that the pace of poverty reduction varied across provinces. Poverty in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa steadily declined from 1998/99 onwards. “In Sindh and Balochistan, it recorded sharp rises in 2001/02 and 2005/06, possibly owing to weak agriculture performance in those years,” the report said.
The reduction in poverty in KP is particularly noteworthy as officials believe that it was facilitated by higher remittances through both foreign and domestic channels. “The large volatility in poverty suggests that a substantial portion of Pakistan’s population is vulnerable, living close to the poverty line, and could fall into poverty as a result of shocks,” the report said.
The overlap between vulnerable and poor households is low as about 60 percent of the highly vulnerable population does not belong to the poorest 20 percent. This means that a significant share of the non-poor population is as vulnerable as poor households, it said.
The WB report conceded that the gains in poverty reduction may have been partly reversed in the wake of the recent economic crisis.
“Food and fuel prices rose by 23.7 and 18.4 percent, respectively in the review period, resulting in a 21 percent reduction in the purchasing power,” it said.
The 2007/08 household survey results also suggest that poverty started rising towards the end of the fiscal year.
Officials said that the impact of the recent economic downturn on poverty levels in the country will only be known when the next household survey is conducted.
The Task Force on Food Security estimated that poverty headcount increased to 33.8 percent in 2007/08 and 36.1 percent in 2008/09. This means that about 62 million people were below the poverty line in 2008/09.
Data suggests that between 2005 and 2009, over 12 to 14 million people may have been added to the ranks of the poor in Pakistan. This would translate into an increase in poverty from 22.3 percent of the population in 2005/06 to between 30-35 percent in 2008/09,” the report added.
Source: The News International
[poll id=”11″]
HAS ANY LEADER PERFORMED BETTER THAN MUSHARAF IN LAST 60 YEARS?
BUT STILL PAKISTANIS ARE ABUSING HIM.
WHAT THE NATION WANT?
THEY ARE DIGGING THEIR OWN GRAVES BY ACTING EMOTIONALLY AS A MOB.
Pak Economy in 1999 was: $ 63 billion Pak Economy in 2007 is: $ 160 billion
GDP Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in 1999: $ 270 billion GDP Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in 2007: $ 475.5 billion
GDP per Capita in 1999: $ 200 GDP per Capita in 2007: $ 1000
Pak revenue collection 1999: Rs. 305 billion Pak revenue collection 2007/08: Rs. 1002 billion
Pak Foreign reserves in 1999: $ 700 million Pak Foreign reserves in 2007: $ 17 billion
Pak Exports in 1999: $ 7.5 billion Pak Exports in 2007: $ 18.5 billion
Textile Exports in 1999: $ 5.5 billion Textile Exports in 2007: $ 11.2 billion
KHI stock exchange 1999: $ 5 billion at 700 points KHI stock exchange 2007: $ 70 billion at 15,000 points
Foreign Direct Investment in 1999: $ 1 billion Foreign Direct Investment in 2007: $ 8.5 billion
Debt servicing 1999: 65% of GDP Debt servicing 2007: 26% of GDP
Poverty level in 1999: 34% Poverty level in 2007: 24%
Literacy rate in 1999: 45% Literacy rate in 2007: 53%
Pak Development programs 1999: Rs. 80 billion Pak Development programs 2007: Rs. 520 billion
Under Musharraf’s vision
1. 9 world class Engineering universities being developed and 18 Public universities already developed.
2. Public sector institutions have increased from 110,267 (in 1999) to Become Private sector institutions have increased from 36,096 (in 1999) to become 81,103 (in 2006).
3. PAK is 3rd best in world Banking profitability.
4. PAK IT industry now values around $2 billion, including $1 billion exports and employs around 90,000 professionals.
5. CNG sector has attracted over $70 billion investment in last 5 years; and created 45,000 jobs.
6. Telecom sector attracted around $10 billion in investment and created above 1.3 million jobs.
7. Industrial Parks are being setup throughout the country for the first time! M3 estate, Sunder industrial estate, Chakri, etc.
8. Major Mega projects like the Saindak, Rekodiq, Marble production, Coal production and Mining & Quarrying are being pursued.
9. In 2006, GDP growth is 6%. Earlier in 1999 was 3.5%.
10. Foreign Reserves from $700 million to $17 bn.
11. KHI stock market: from 700 points to 15,000 points.
12. Literacy rate improved by 11%.
13. Poverty decreased by 10%.
14. He made 4 dams: Mirani, Subakzai, Gomalzam, Khurram, Tangi dams. Biggest of them Bhasha Started
15. 7 Motorways completed or under construction: M1, M3,M4, M8, M9, M10, M11.
16. Six major highways under construction.
17. GWADAR advance mega Sea port developed under his vision!
18. 650 km Coastal highway constructed.
19. Historic 100% increase in Tax collection of Rs 1 trillion.
20. Large scale manufacturing is 30 year high, and Construction activity is 17 year high.
21. Newly found World class copper- gold deposits in Chagai will fetch $600million per year.
22. A new Oil refinery with UAE will fetch $5 billion & will process 300,000oil barrels a day.
23. Industrial sector registered 26% growth.
24. PAK in 1999 was a $63 billion economy; and now 2006 it’s $160 billion economy! PAK economy is now the 3rd fastest growing economy after China & India .
Education under Musharraf Era
25. In 1999-2000 there were 31 Public Universities. Now 2005- 2006 there are49 Public Universities. Under Musharraf 20 NEW UNIVERSITIES SET UP!
26. Air University (established 2002)
27. Institute of Space technology, ISB (established 2002)
28. Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University , Quetta (established 2004)
29. University of Science & Technology, Bannu (established 2005)
30. University of Hazara (founded 2002)
31. Malakand university, Chakdara (established 2002)
32. Malakand university, Chakdara (established 2002
33. University of Gujrat (established 2004)
34. Virtual University of Pak, Lahore (established 2002)
35. Sarhad University of IT, Peshawar (established 2001)
36. National Law University , ISB (2007)
37. Media University , ISB (2007) etc.
38. University of Education , Lahore (2002)
39. Lasbella University of Marine Sciences, Baluchistan (2005)
40. Baluchistan University of IT & Management, Quetta (2002), etc.
Pakistan now has a total of 245,682 Educational institutions in all categories, including 164,579 (i.e. 67 percent) in the Public sector and 81,103 (i.e. 100 percent) in the private sector, reports the National Education Census (NEC-2005). The census — jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education, the Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPAM) and the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) – reveals that the number of private-sector institutions has increased from 36,096 in 1999-2000 to 81,103 in 2005, i.e. by 100 per cent. A record of more than 5000 Pakistani doing PhD’s in foreign countries on scholarship While 300 PhD’s are producing every year locally whose number was just 20 in 1999. This number will increase to 500 in 2008.
Total 99,319 Educational Institutions (Public & Private) have increased in Musharraf era!