Austerity at the apex

In order to strike a fiscal balance and come to the rescue of overburdened people, the government should curtail all unnecessary perks, privileges and facilities being availed by our elite.

To bridge the growing income disparities in Pakistan, the much dreaded 'wealth tax' should be re-introduced on the super wealthy. Also, a strong check-and-balance system must be instituted to promote austerity at all levels of governance. These and other significant steps of fiscal course correction can help the government tap the additional resources needed to tackle food price inflation in the short- to medium-term.

Abbas R Siddiqi

Lahore