This refers to the news report ‘Car sales jump 44pc to 14,543 units in Jan’ (Feb 12). An increase in car sales, however, is not the yardstick of economic progress. This product serves the affluent class and not the common man. The rising number of individual vehicles on roads hints at the widening gap between the haves and have-nots. The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. It also means that a large amount of borrowed foreign exchange is being spent on the import of cars for families that fall in the top two percent. It is a flawed development model and gives a false sense of national wellbeing. It also highlights the fact that the nation is living beyond its means.
The government needs to include economists with a middle-class background, who understand the pain and difficulties of the common man. These economists can provide indigenous solutions. This step is crucial if the government wants to carry out fundamental economic reforms, promote the egalitarian distribution of wealth, and ensure self-reliance.
Shoaib A Majeed
Karachi