Act now

Before asking China and Saudi Arabia for loan, it is imperative that the PTI government, besides reducing imports, takes severe action in other areas as well to tackle economic challenges. The new government should find out a solution to deal with the problems of electricity and gas theft in both residential and commercial areas and the non-payment of bills by several government departments. It should give a three-year period to loss-making state-owned enterprises to either minimise further losses or face a shutdown.

This is what China did and that is why its government-owned enterprises are now running in profit. In addition, government employees should have work objectives against which they should be graded. Those who perform well should be promoted. Some government employees think it is there right to get a salary without working, while at the same time there are other government employees, like lady health workers, who do not get paid on a regular basis. All Pakistanis have to remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If China and Saudi Arabia are helping us out, we should be prepared to comply with their conditions. The example of the conditions put by the US government is before us.

Syed Hussein El-Edroos

Islamabad