Mansha asks govt to privatise PIA, other PSEs

ISLAMABAD: Top business tycoons on Monday asked the government to take corrective steps for achieving higher growth trajectory of 9-10 percent to avoid social upheaval, privatise major public sector enterprises (PSEs) such as PIA and others, bring non filers into tax net and focus on smaller power projects to end load shedding.
Mian Mansha, a leading businessmen of the country, asked the government on this occasion to achieve higher growth trajectory of 9 to 10 percent, otherwise, social upheaval could erupt in this country.
The business leaders from all over Pakistan also asked the government to devise national economic agenda irrespective of political divide and this agenda should be implemented without any consideration that which party is coming in or going out from power corridors. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) President, Mian Iddress, demanded of the government to declare 2015-16 as year of economic revival of Pakistan.
Just ahead of budget 2015-16, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Monday invited representatives of the FPCCI and all other chambers from all over the country here at P Block to share government’s point of view on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and sought their suggestions on upcoming budget 2015-16.
The leading business tycoon Mian Mansha advocated for going ahead with privatisation plan in vigorous manner saying that the government could not run state owned enterprises in any way. He said that he could not understand that there was free electricity for tube-wells in India, but, here, Wapda’s losses stood at Rs500 billion per annum.
“I am the largest taxpayer, largest exporter and largest employer of the country,” he said and added that there was need to privatise PIA as Airport Security Force (ASF) was even larger than army of many countries.
It is not the business of the government to run the business, he argued and cited an example that when he had met Bangladesh’s prime minister and she inquired about reason of shelving plans of previous regime by every government after assuming powers, he had replied her that same thing was happening in Bangladesh as well. But the PM of Bangladesh had told Mr Mansha that they did not alter economic projects of previous regime so they were now progressing well. “We have politicised everything here,” he maintained.
He said that Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) was not privatised as ideal transaction but there was not much loadshedding in Karachi, and their staff could reach a place within 15 to 20 minutes to ratify any fault. On energy projects, he said that they were producing electricity by using coal and as result of thinking and innovative approach new opportunities emerged.
He said that after privatisation telecom industry showed marvellous results as teledensity improved a lot in Pakistan. He said that there was need to tell the government to come up with economic price of gas in the country.
“The best way to improve electricity is to focus on smaller projects where there is no problem to complete projects on short term basis,” he added.The president of FPCCI said on the occasion that important development projects such as Kalabagh Dam, Thar Coal, Gawadar and now CPEC were politicised with the objective to derail the economy.
He proposed to the government to shift responsibility of policy making on economic front on the shoulders of FPCCI just like on the pattern of India where FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries) was doing there.
He also proposed that prime minister should hold meeting with business community on quarterly basis to resolve their problems. He said that he had asked the government to give him FBR on contract basis for three years its collection would be doubled.
He said that the FBR should focus more on those who are non filers.Minister for Planning and Reforms Prof Ahsan Iqbal said that after achieving stabilisation, the government would now focus on higher growth trajectory in the coming budget. He said that there were three routes on CPEC which would be built simultaneously. The working group on economic zones for CPEC had not yet been formed and it was expected that it would be constituted in July 2015, he maintained.