Income, Money, and Prices in Pakistan: Trends and Interrelationship

Income, Money, and Prices are important macroeconomic variables which play crucial roles in an economy. There has been a long debate in economics regarding their roles. For example, the Monetarists claim that money plays an active role and leads to changes in income and prices. In other words, changes in income and prices in an economy are mainly caused by the changes in money stocks. The Keynesians, on the other hand, argue that money does not play an active role in changing income and prices. In fact, changes in income cause changes in money stocks via demand for money. Similarly, changes in prices are mainly caused by structural factors. Although there is disagreement among economist on the roles of income, money, and prices as well as their interrelationship, these variables are considered important and large amount of literature in economics deals with these variables. The purpose of this paper is to look at the trends of these variables in Pakistan’s economy over fifty years. We also look at the components of these variables as well as their interrelationship.

The Uruguay Round Agreement: Implications for Pakistan’s Textiles and Clothing Sector

The Uruguay Round (UR), which marked the conclusion of protracted multilateral trade negotiations, resulted in comprehensive agreements on multilateral trade in goods and services within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The newly created World Trade Organisation (WTO) provides an institutional framework that encompasses all the agreements and legal instruments negotiated in the UR as well as the dispute settlement procedures and provisions for the regular monitoring of policies of the member countries. The UR agreement has been widely perceived as constituting a major advance in the process of multilateral liberalisation of trade in goods and services and, when fully implemented, is expected to improve economic efficiency and welfare from the global, national and sectoral standpoints. An important feature of the UR agreement is the incorporation of new sectors like textiles and clothing within the ambit of the GATT/WTO framework. In view of the fact that the textiles and clothing industry is one of the few sectors in which developing countries enjoy a distinct comparative advantage over industrial countries, the UR agreement holds considerable significance for developing economies like Pakistan.

Impact of Financial Liberalisation and Deregulation on Banking Sector in Pakistan

The study analyses market perception about the performance of Pakistani commercial banks due to financial liberalisation and deregulation measures taken by the central bank over the last two decades. For this purpose, it uses Survey approach. To augment the results of Survey Based Approach, it employs Distribution Free Approach to measure relative cost inefficiencies of commercial banks. Out of 35 commercial banks, 15 banks have been chosen for analysis purpose. Key banking reforms remain helpful in correcting flaws in the banking sector of Pakistan. In particular, privatisation of banks, the deregulation and institutional strengthening measures and switching towards market-based monetary and credit management remain helpful in correcting the prevailing flaws. The cost inefficiency scores of banks also indicate that the efficiency of Pakistani banks have improved during 1990 to 2006. As regards group-wise efficiency estimates, foreign banks are found to be more efficient, followed by private banks, nationalised commercial banks, and privatised banks. The relative high cost inefficiency of privatised banks is most probably due to having remained under state owned structure during most of the period of the study. The financial liberalisation and the resultant competitive environment might be the key factors behind improvements in efficacy of banks.Banking, Efficiency, Regulations, Financial Reforms

Impact of Financial Liberalisation and Deregulation on Banking Sector in Pakistan

The study analyses market perception about the performance of Pakistani commercial banks due to financial liberalisation and deregulation measures taken by the central bank over the last two decades. For this purpose, it uses Survey approach. To augment the results of Survey Based Approach, it employs Distribution Free Approach to measure relative cost inefficiencies of commercial banks. Out of 35 commercial banks, 15 banks have been chosen for analysis purpose. Key banking reforms remain helpful in correcting flaws in the banking sector of Pakistan. In particular, privatisation of banks, the deregulation and institutional strengthening measures and switching towards market-based monetary and credit management remain helpful in correcting the prevailing flaws. The cost inefficiency scores of banks also indicate that the efficiency of Pakistani banks have improved during 1990 to 2006. As regards group-wise efficiency estimates, foreign banks are found to be more efficient, followed by private banks, nationalised commercial banks, and privatised banks. The relative high cost inefficiency of privatised banks is most probably due to having remained under state owned structure during most of the period of the study. The financial liberalisation and the resultant competitive environment might be the key factors behind improvements in efficacy of banks.Banking, Efficiency, Regulations, Financial Reforms

The Impact of Institutional Credit on Agricultural Production in Pakistan

Three main factors that contribute to agricultural growth are the increased use of agricultural inputs, technological change and technical efficiency. Technological change is the result of research and development efforts, while technical efficiency with which new technology is adopted and used more rationally is affected by the flow of information, better infrastructure, availability of funds and farmers’ managerial capabilities. Higher use and better mix of inputs also requires funds at the disposal of farmers. These funds could come either from farmers’ own savings or through borrowings. In less developed countries like Pakistan where savings are negligible especially among the small farmers, agricultural credit appears to be an essential input along with modern technology for higher productivity.

Phenology and ecology of the Great White Egret (Casmerodius albus) in the lowlands of the rivers Nuthe and Nieplitz, Brandenburg, 1995 to 2005

Seit 1995 wurden in Brandenburg vermehrt Silberreiher beobachtet. In der Nuthe-Nieplitz-Niederung kam es vor allem ab September zu größeren Schlafplatzansammlungen mit mehr als 20 Vögeln in abgestorbenen Erlen. Nachweise existieren aber aus allen Monaten, auch aus dem Frühjahr, darunter mehrfach Altvögel im Prachtkleid. Bruten wurden bisher nicht nachgewiesen. Der nächste Brutplatz befindet sich ca. 150 km ENE im Warthebruch (Polen). In der Nuthe-Nieplitz-Niederung wurden ganz flache Gewässer mit großem Nahrungsangebot bevorzugt. Seit 2001 wurden Überwinterungen beobachtet. Im strengen Winter 2005/2006 überwinterten sogar größere Trupps von bis zu 16 Silberreihern. Als Schlafplatz wurden Röhrichte im eisfrei bleibenden Nieplitzdelta am Blankensee gewählt. Zur Nahrungssuche wurden in dieser Zeit auch Wiesen aufgesucht, wo wohl Mäuse als Nahrung genutzt wurden.Great White Egrets are observed frequently in Brandenburg since 1995. The species established a night roost in the Nuthe-Nieplitz-Lowlands in dead alders with more than twenty birds, especially between September and November. Records also exist from all other months. Several observations of adults in breeding plumage were made, but broods were not recorded. The next known breeding site is located in the Warthebruch, Poland, about 150 km ENE. In the Nuthe-Nieplitz-Lowlands the Great White Egret prefers shallow waters with a high density of food. The tendency to winter increased since 2001. In the severe winter 2005/2006 up to sixteen birds roosted for the night in the estuary of the river Nieplitz where broad reedbeds and a largely ice-free area is provided. In this time the birds used meadows for foraging most probably on voles

Income, Money and Prices in Pakistan: Trends and Interrelationship

This paper attempts to look at the trends in income, money, and prices in Pakistan over the years. In addition, we also look at the components of, as well as interrelationship among, these variables. Annual data from 1949-50 to 1998-99 are used and the period is further divided into five decades. The analyses show a greater expansion in these variables in the 1970s. However, these expansions can be attributed to phenomenal expansions in prices. Real income, on the other hand, improved marginally. Real income expanded significantly in the 1960s and remained stable till the 1980s but significantly declined in the 1990s. This is an alarming situation and requires suitable remedial measures. Similarly, the analyses show a significant decline in NFI in the 1990s. In fact, it has been negative for the last four years indicating capital outflow from the country which is also alarming. The analyses also indicate a significant difference between measures of money, M1 and M2, in the 1990s due to the opening of foreign currency deposits. The opening of foreign currency deposits has also affected the demand deposits and there seems to be shifting of funds between the two deposits. Finally, the correlation analyses indicate a little role of money in changing income as well as prices. On the other hand, money seems to be significantly affected by nominal income, particularly by three years back level of income. Regarding price, it seems to have a small association with money.Income; Money; Prices; Pakistan; Trends; Relationship

Impact of Infrastructure and Agroclimate on the Location of Rural Bank Branches in Pakistan: A Preliminary Assessment

Rural financial institutions play an important role in development and growth of the agricultural sector. In developing economies some rural areas are adequately served by financial institutions, while others have little or no access to these institutions. This uneven pattern of geographic location of rural bank branches has been attributed largely to regional differences in agroclimatic conditions and infrastructural endowments. We have estimated several alternative specifications which can be helpful in understanding the spatial distribution of commercial bank branches across the rural areas. Our results indicate that the location of rural bank branches is significantly influenced by infrastructural endowments and agroclimatic environment.

Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Development in Pakistan

This paper examines the determinants of private, domestic, and household savings in Pakistan. The analysis shows that private savings can be expected to grow gradually as a result of rising per capita income, falling dependency burden, improved financial deepening, and macro stability. Bivariate causality tests between GNP and savings show that GNP causes both domestic and public savings. However, the causality test is inconclusive in the case of causation between GNP and private savings. This finding has important policy implication in the sense that once a virtual cycle succeeds in accelerating growth, saving would catch up with a lag. In this sense, financing of investment is not a major constraint. The paper underlines the following policy options: (i) a strong effort spread over tax policy (tax reforms as well as tax administration), expenditure restraint, effective expenditure management, and public sector corporate reforms should aim at raising public savings to about 6 percent of the GDP; (ii) the incentives for private savings in Pakistan need to be revamped.