Government claims of economic growth termed baseless

Speakers at a roundtable talk on 'The Claims of Economic Growth in the Country and the Actual Situation of Poverty, Unemployment and Price Hike' said that all government claims regarding economic growth were baseless and the government was misguiding the people. The programme was organised by Pakistan Muslim League (N) Sindh, at a local hotel on Saturday. PML (N) Sindh chief organiser Mamnoon Hussain said that his party believed that the economic growth was not possible without the co-operation and support of labour of the country.
He said that the institutions in the country could not be strengthened due to continuous military interference in the political system of the country. He added that his party would launch labour-friendly policies, when it came in power.
Mushahidullah Khan said that present rulers had negative thinking for labour class and there was a misperception that the labour of the country is not performing its duties honestly.
He said that farmers, low paid employees and people living in katchi abadies could play a vital role to change the system.
He said the problems facing the country could not be solved in the regime of capitalism and feudalism.
He asked the labour leaders to unite on one agenda and start the struggle for getting their rights.
Dr Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, a well-known economist, said that all government claims regarding economic growth were false and baseless. He said that unemployment ratio was reduced to 5.89 percent in 1999 from 6.1 percent which, he said, has been increased to 8.2 percent during the last five years.
He said that 54 million people are living under the poverty line in the country and 90,000 poor people increased during the last five years. The trade deficit has been increased to $5 billion against $1.5 billion during this period, he added.
He said that foreign loans had been increased by $3.5 billion during the last five years.
Dr Qaiser Bengali said that according to inflation ratio the labour wages have been increasing in the country.
He said that all government surveys and statistics announced during the last five years were wrong. He said that poverty has increased by 3.5 percent during the last five years. He said that the 10 percent richest are availing 34 percent of high rate growth while the 10 percent poorest avail 3 percent of the high rate growth.