The Lahore School of Economics first annual conference on 'Management of the Pakistan Economy' concluded here on Saturday. In the concluding session, Dr Moazam Mehmud from International Labour Organisation (ILO) gave out recommendations adopted during the three-day moot. A number of eminent economic decision-makers, economists, industrialists, academics and intellectuals were invited in the moot to discuss a broad-range of key issues on management of the economy.
Presentations and discussions focussed on macro-management of fundamentals of the economy, investment, growth, budgetary deficit, external balances and role of the Public Sector Development Programme.
From examining the macro-aggregates of the economy to a focus on the real sectors of the economy, the growth and potential of the agricultural sector, the competitiveness of the post-MFA industrial sector, and the institutional mechanisms for managing these sectors were discussed.
Third day focused on three priority policy challenges - human resource development, poverty and employment, and governance.
State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr Ishrat Hussain, former SBP governor Ashraf Janjua, privatisation minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Dr A.R. Kemal, Dr Akmal Hussain, Dr Zafar Altaf, Faizullah Khilji and Tahir Jehangir also addressed the moot.
Policy sessions on education and poverty and employment brought out three clear policy proposals.
Former finance minister Sartaj Aziz, who also addressed the moot, stated that education should be a statutory right, whose expansion required not just fiscal space, which had been diminishing for provinces, but also reform of the educational system to avoid waste.
Dr Rashid Amjad from the ILO argued that the poor needed protection of a statutory minimum wage.
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