WTO and Pakistan: Opportunities and Policy Challenges

From its inception the GATT had guided international trade most successfully until the early 1970s. However, afterwards the developed countries (DCs) increasingly recurred to new forms of trade restrictions not covered by the GATT rules. Ironically, these “grey measures” were mostly against the less developed countries (LDCs). These measures constrained international trade exactly at the time when the LDCs started penetrating developed markets. One of the main objectives of the Uruguay Round (UR) accord was to restrict the surge of protectionism. The accord was the most ambitious and detailed trade accord of all the GATT rounds. It established the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Before the UR accord the discrimination in textiles, clothing and agriculture was severe because tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) were employed in such a way that the overall effect of protection accumulated. The Round had agreed upon the harmonisation and reduction of tariffs, and elimination of NTBs (in stages) and thus it is expected that the effective protection will diminish in the DCs. The new accord has ensured multilateral rules for these sectors. All members expected that protection would be eventually lower with full implementation of the accord. In order to protect the interest of different groups the WTO has now lay down nondiscriminatory trading rules for services and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs), thus covering all major fields of international trade policy.

State of Technology and Productivity in Pakistan’s Manufacturing Industries: Some Strategic Directions to Build Technological Competence

Historically, Pakistan’s economic growth record, especially of the manufacturing sector, has been quite satisfactory. However, since the late 1980s Pakistan has been facing a slow growth of manufacturing industries, particularly of the large-scale manufacturing units. This has led some economists to express the apprehension that perhaps de-industrialisation is taking place in the country. A careful analysis of the causes of this sluggish growth suggests that one of the main contributory factors is the slow growth in total factor productivity (TFP)—the best overall measure of competitiveness. What has caused this productivity slow-down? For Pakistan there is clear evidence of a relationship between the growth in total factor productivity and the ailing S & T apparatus. The results presented in the study also lend support to the hypothesis that knowledge capital, human capital, openness, and government policies are crucial determinants of total factor productivity growth. Given a liberal economic environment in the country, which is essential to improve efficiency and productivity, the paper offers four strategic directions in order to improve the status of the S & T system in Pakistan (1) augment the public sector S & T apparatus with the private sector funding and oversight; (2) take measures to upgrade scientific research institutions to the international standard; (3) streamline the technology creation, absorption, and diffusion system; and (4) enhance the demand for S & T in industries. These strategic directions are designed in such a manner that they work together towards a series of phased reforms, which can create incentives and market-based mechanisms to enhance the technology system without relying on a radical shift in the governance element of the bureaucracy.

On Overinvoicing of Exports in Pakistan

Whereas the policy incentives were designed to promote exports from Pakistan, the incentive system instead led to illicit export practices, i.e., export overinvoicing due to the weaknesses of implementation. Such practices resulted in a significant financial loss to the country and undermined the effectiveness of the export-promoting policy. This paper has determined the presence of overinvoicing of exports in Pakistan and the geographic and product-wise patterns in export overinvoicing. The paper has applied the ‘partner-country data comparison’ technique. Empirical findings confirm the strong presence of export overinvoicing across trading partner countries and products. This conclusion is further supported by the evidence of a significant difference between the duty-drawback rate and the premium on foreign exchange in the kerb market. Convincing presence of export overinvoicing is the basis for a set of policy recommendations made in the paper.

Under-invoicing of Imports: A Case Study of Pakistan

Most of the developing countries, including Pakistan, set high tariffs and stringent quantitative restrictions (QRs) to protect their domestic industries from foreign competition and to raise tax revenues. Both tariffs and QRs, due to the weak enforcement of controls, provide incentives to smuggle goods through illegal channels and to under-invoice imports through legal channels of trade to evade import taxes. In particular, under-invoicing of imports challenge both the abovementioned obj~ctives; that is. the under-invoicing of imports confers much lower protection to domestic industries than that accorded by statutory rates of import duties, while the tax revenues are lost as import taxes are evaded. Tariff barriers, QRs, and foreign exchange rationing give rise to black foreign exchange markets. Foreign remittances and under-invoicing of exports are the major supply sources of foreign exchange in black markets. On the other hand, the demand for illegal foreign exchange comes largely from the nationals who want to travel abroad, capital flight abroad, and the under-invoicing of imports which requires the purchases of black market foreign exchange to make full payment to the foreign exporter

Changes in Export Shares and Competitive Strength in Pakistan

The constant- market- Share technique provides useful information for analyzing export performance by allowing realised export growth to be separated into commodity composition, market diversification, world trade and export promotion effects. Furthermore, the analysis of export promotion effect provides information about the control variables which can be instrumental in formulating future export policies. The study providC5 Information concerning the extent to which Pakistan is exporting to markets with relatively unfavorable growth rates

Pension and Social Security Schemes in Pakistan : Some Policy Options

An examination of the public pension and social security schemes in Pakistan reveals that the provision of regular pensions is limited to formal sector employees only. A number of social security schemes that are operational in the public and private sectors cover a small proportion of old-age population, whereas a significant proportion of the elderly population working in the informal sector remains largely unprotected by social security schemes. As such, the challenge of meeting the needs of the increasing elderly population demands an improvement of the support base and social security system in Pakistan that emphasises the need to implement reforms of public pensions and programmes of social protection. Efficient deployment of resources and improvement of the governance structure are needed for effective welfare of the eligible sub-group of the elderly and the economically disadvantaged population.social security, Pensions, Pakistan

Pension and Social Security Schemes in Pakistan: Some Policy Options

An examination of the public pension and social security schemes in Pakistan reveals that the provision of regular pensions is limited to formal sector employees only. A number of social security schemes that are operational in the public and private sectors cover a small proportion of old-age population, whereas a significant proportion of the elderly population working in the informal sector remains largely unprotected by social security schemes. As such, the challenge of meeting the needs of the increasing elderly population demands an improvement of the support base and social security system in Pakistan that emphasises the need to implement reforms of public pensions and programmes of social protection. Efficient deployment of resources and improvement of the governance structure are needed for effective welfare of the eligible sub-group of the elderly and the economically disadvantaged population.Social Security, Pensions, Pakistan

Personal Earnings Inequality in Pakistan: Findings from the HIES 1993-94

The earnings of workers play important role in the well-beings of households’ as they account for the largest proportion of total household income. If earnings of workers are distributed unevenly, they contribute significantly to the inequality in the household earnings. It may not be a cause of serious concern if income inequality grows and income of the workers also grows throughout the population and the position of the bottom segment improves. It is however serious when gap between rich and poor increases by worsening the position of poor. To reduce the household income inequality it is therefore important to focus on the distribution of personal earnings and frame a policy. There are many cause of inequality in personal earnings. As workers income rises at varying rates, it may reflect the decision of household of their investment in human capital and decisions to acquire skills. The factors like education, occupation, gender, regional location, sector of employment, and non-market forces such as discrimination may also play a significant role in the distribution of earnings.