If numbers were true

LAHORE: The poor need a government that can actually improve their lives instead of triumphing in doctored statistics that only look good on paper.

The poverty statistics are meaningless if life on the streets is miserable, people live in slums worse than places where animals are reared. One fails to understand why some rosy numbers about poverty are managed in the media. Ordinary citizens know their precarious situation well. They take governments’ claim of reducing poverty as an insult to their injury.

The difference between the developed and the poor countries is the governments in advanced countries are effective, while regimes in latter are weak in terms of writ. The government of Pakistan lacks capacity to govern because it is deficient in regulation and short of enforcement capacity needed to ensure rules are abided. In such situations businesses find it difficult to operate freely. In many cases even the judicial system does not function properly denying the innovative entrepreneurs to claim the rewards of their ideas.

Citizens in developed economies also have reservations about their government yet the same government collects taxes and provides services in return that makes their lives comfortable. These grumbling citizens may have complaints about their rulers but they have no doubt in mind about the legal and regulatory system of their government. Their children go to high standard public schools, while healthcare and social security system ensures that even their elderly are properly looked after.

They enjoy the best infrastructure, full security and protection even in foreign countries. The developed governments invest heavily in research particularly in medicines. These services might not be up to the standard of many citizens but they pay their taxes honestly and if they have an objection to the way their tax money is spent they initiate a lively debate to convince the majority electorate, which may cost the ruling party heavily in next elections.

In contrast the state of Pakistan lacks the capacity to raise taxes. It is also unable to deliver the services transparently to its citizens. Even after providing the best services the level of trust of citizens in developed countries in their government is not perfect. We can safely say the contract between the government and citizens in Pakistan is altogether absent. In Pakistan like in all poorly governed countries police persecute the people they are supposed to protect. The police act as extortionists and feel no shame in bedeviling them at the behest of the powerful.

Ghost public schools and public clinics are a norm in Pakistan and absentee doctors and teachers enjoy full benefits of the service they do not perform. Private Doctors’ are free to fleece patients. Unfortunately there is no accountability or regulation on injections, intravenous drips, and antibiotics, prescribed to the patients. Quacks operate in society without any fear of prosecution. It is not uncommon in Pakistan that children die in large numbers from diseases that are curable. As long as the state is ineffective poor children will continue to die.

Low capacity to provide services and protection is one of the foremost causes of poverty and deprivation in Pakistan. There is no chance for growth till an effective government is in place that is fully involved with its citizens. Rich countries and donor agencies are making things worse for countries like Pakistan through foreign assistance despite constant slippage of governance. Foreign assistance and help from rich countries to poor countries do save some lives but undermine the development of local state capacity. Governments in Pakistan need no contract with their citizens; they need no parliamentary approvals or go all-out for improving the tax-collection system. They are accountable to the donors or IMF in our case.

In recent decades some donors have started disbursing resources and services directly to the poor as they expressed trust in the state. This has certainly brought substantial relief to the poor but that assistance is limited. Moreover no one knows as to how long these donors would be able to provide these services directly. Through these services they are relieving the host government of their responsibility and further weakening their capacities. The issue of poverty would never be addressed through this strategy. The poor need effective governance to lead better lives and donors instead of improving things temporarily better help the governments improve their capacities.