Energy Demand in Pakistan: A Disaggregate Analysis

This study examines the demand for energy at disaggregate level (gas, electricity and coal) for Pakistan over the period 1972-2007. Over main results suggest that electricity and coal consumption responds positively to changes in real income per capita and negatively to changes in domestic price level. The gas consumption responds negatively to real income and price changes in the shortrun, however, in the long-run real income exerts positive effect on gas consumption, while domestic price remains insignificant. Furthermore, in the short-run the average elasticities of price and real income for gas consumption (in absolute terms) are greater than that of electricity and coal consumption. The differences in elasticities of each component of energy have significant policy implications for income and revenue generation.Energy Demand, Cointegration, Pakistan

Energy Demand in Pakistan: A Disaggregate Analysis

This study examines the demand for energy at disaggregate level (gas, electricity and coal) for Pakistan over the period 1972-2007. Over main results suggest that electricity and coal consumption responds positively to changes in real income per capita and negatively to changes in domestic price level. The gas consumption responds negatively to real income and price changes in the shortrun, however, in the long-run real income exerts positive effect on gas consumption, while domestic price remains insignificant. Furthermore, in the short-run the average elasticities of price and real income for gas consumption (in absolute terms) are greater than that of electricity and coal consumption. The differences in elasticities of each component of energy have significant policy implications for income and revenue generation.Pakistan, Energy Demand

National Finance Commission Awards in Pakistan : A Historical Perspective

This study explores the evolution of fiscal resource distribution in Pakistan. Pakistan is a federation comprising four provinces, federallyadministered areas, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Being a central type of government, most of the revenues are collected by the centre and then redistributed vertically between the federal and the provincial governments, and horizontally among the provinces. Provinces then also redistribute revenues among lower tiers of the government, through a revenue-sharing formula. A thorough look at the history indicates that this process has been complex and has a far-reaching impact. A less systematic approach has been adopted to decentralise the financial matters. Over time, the divisible pool has expanded due to heavy reliance on indirect taxes as well as improvement in the collection. Population is the sole distribution criteria, adopted in all NFC awards from the divisible pool. This has raised friction among the provinces, necessitating inclusion of other potential variables evolved from international best practices. In addition to that, absence of technical experts and permanency of the NFC is another impediment. The NFC is supposed to provide the framework for amicable distribution of resources between the federal and the provincial governments for the joint goal of development and prosperity.NFC, Pakistan, fiscal federalism, Rule and Discretion, political economy, Population, Subventions, Doing the Business of Government

National Finance Commission Awards in Pakistan: A Historical Perspective

This study explores the evolution of fiscal resource distribution in Pakistan. Pakistan is a federation comprising four provinces, federally-administered areas, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Being a central type of government, most of the revenues are collected by the centre and then redistributed vertically between the federal and the provincial governments, and horizontally among the provinces. Provinces then also redistribute revenues among lower tiers of the government, through a revenue-sharing formula. A thorough look at the history indicates that this process has been complex and has a far-reaching impact. A less systematic approach has been adopted to decentralise the financial matters. Over time, the divisible pool has expanded due to heavy reliance on indirect taxes as well as improvement in the collection. Population is the sole distribution criteria, adopted in all NFC awards from the divisible pool. This has raised friction among the provinces, necessitating inclusion of other potential variables evolved from international best practices. In addition to that, absence of technical experts and permanency of the NFC is another impediment. The NFC is supposed to provide the framework for amicable distribution of resources between the federal and the provincial governments for the joint goal of development and prosperity.NFC, Pakistan, Fiscal Federalism, Rule and Discretion, Political Economy, Population, Subventions, Doing the Business of Government

Rashid Amjad (ed.) The Pakistani Diaspora: Corridors of Opportunity and Uncertainty. Lahore, Pakistan: Lahore School of Economics. 2017. 337 pages.

The book “The Pakistani Diaspora, Corridors of Opportunity and Uncertainty”, which is edited by Rashid Amjad, is a collection of 17 academic essays on Pakistani migrants and Pakistani diaspora in different countries. This book presents diverse viewpoints in the study of diaspora. This book does not just analyse the size of the diaspora in a chronological manner, but it also provides important understanding of the cost and benefits associated with migration and assimilation of the migrants’ families in new environments. In the first paper, the author tries to capture the salient features and dynamics of Pakistan’s “age of migration” across home and host countries. By 2017, the estimated diaspora was at 9.1 million – almost 5 per cent of Pakistan’s population. The labour class started to migrate to the UK in 1950s while highly skilled professionals started moving to the US and Canada in 1960s. The unskilled and semiskilled workers began to move to the Middle East in 1970s and due to easing off their visa policies in 1990s, migrants began moving to Europe, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia from Pakistan. According to the author “A large number of people face losses in the struggle to migrate to foreign countries. A majority of illegal migrants are imprisoned in different countries while trying to reach Europe while dozens are killed on their way to Greece.

Investigation of efficient resource allocation schemes for WiMAX networks

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University on 9 July 2008.WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a promising wireless technology with the aim of providing the last mile wireless broadband access designed for both fixed and mobile consumers as an alternative solution to the wired DSL and cable access schemes. The purpose of this research project is to investigate efficient resource allocation algorithms for WiMax. To achieve this goal, we investigate efficient PHY layer Partial Usage of SubCarriers (PUSC) allocation as well as MAC layer piggyback bandwidth request mechanisms. At the PHY layer we proposed improvements on the Uplink and Downlink PUSC subcarrier allocation scheme. For the Uplink PUSC we suggested a method by allocating different frequencies to neighbouring cells in combination with the Integer Frequency Reuse (IFR) and Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) in order to reduce interferences and collisions. The simulation results exhibit that collision rates can be reduced to zero for both IFR and FFR patterns with the proposed improvement by assuming that perfect power control is used in the system. In addition, there is no collision at cell edges. The results also show that FFR patterns achieve lower inter-cell interference and higher capacities as compared to the IFR patterns. For the Downlink PUSC we introduced an offset scheme with the purpose of increasing the number of users in the system. At the MAC layer we propose an improvement on the piggyback bandwidth request mechanism by increasing the size of the piggyback bandwidth request in order to reduce the number of bandwidth requests and hence improve the resource utilisation. The simulation results demonstrate that our improved scheme achieves higher throughput, less delay and packet loss rates as compared to the standardised piggyback bandwidth request mechanism

Integrative Practices in Supply Chains: Building Relationships for Competitiveness in Dynamic Environments

Firms are increasingly relying on their supply-chain relationships to compete in an era of globalization and change. To this end firms integrate various processes and business activities with their supply chain partners. Supply chain integration (SCI) literature studies the performance benefits of such integration under different business conditions. Existing SCI research takes a black-box view of integration where different integrative practices are studied as one integration construct. This black-box view has limited applications because it masks the differences in SCI practices. In this dissertation we answer the following questions: what are the different elements that comprise the integration construct? What are the important differences between these elements in their relationships with performance and with environmental dynamism? We follow a rigorous and reproducible qualitative analysis procedure to identify the constructs that makeup the black-box of integration. We define the new elements of integration and generate measurement scales for them that are pre-tested using Q-sort. We then empirically verify our new conceptualization of integration by collecting survey data from manufacturers in North America. The survey results are analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to yield reliable and valid measurement scales. The survey data is used to analyze the performance impact of the various integration elements. We find that basic communication elements are no longer order-winners and cannot be a source of increased profitability. We also find that operational excellence elements and knowledge generation elements both increase profits but only the knowledge generation elements are able to increase competitive advantage over rivals. These results provide an explanation for the inconsistent findings in the literature on the integration performance relationship. We also test how environmental dynamism impacts the relationships between the elements of integration and performance. Our results show that knowledge generation elements are more useful in highly dynamic conditions, while operational excellence elements are more useful in stable conditions. This dissertation makes significant contributions in providing conceptual synthesis and extension of theory as well as empirical verification of new insights. Our work is relevant to practitioners as it can assist them in making relationship level decisions regarding integration under various business conditions