Continuity and consistency of policies

Continuity and consistency of policies in any sector of the national economy as well as other spheres of life are regarded to be the hallmark of success. The ratio of success of these policies and programmes would vary and depend mostly on how much continuity and consistency has been ensured during their pendency and implementation.
This is true for individuals, organisations collectively and more importantly for the government which has to plan and execute large number of policies and programmes in different fields of national economy aiming at ushering in an era of progress, prosperity and development through proper implementation and execution.
If, somehow, the situation is otherwise and the policies and programmes aimed at providing basic amenities and facilities to the people at large in the width and breadth of the country lack cohesion, continuity and consistency, the results are most unfortunately negative and the whole process is rendered non-productive in the end.
Pakistan has a politically chequered history spanning over more than five decades. The net result is known to everyone. During this period, a number of civilian regimes as well as military rulers have come and gone leaving hardly any positive impact on the national economy and other spheres of life as consistency and continuity of policies and programmes could not be ensured for one reason or the other.
General elections were last held in October 2002 and new ones are fast approaching as the National and Provincial Assemblies, which came into existence through the election process, have already entered the fifth and final year of the constitutional tenure.
The National Assembly has withstood all the internal and external pressures. The ruling coalition of PML(Q) and allies is at the helm of national affairs and also running into the fifth year.
During the last more than four years, there have been three Prime Ministers/Leaders of the House. First one was Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali who stepped down in the second year, then came PML(Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who was in fact the Prime Minister in transit for a specified period to let the PM-designate and technocrat Shaukat Aziz quit the Senate, the Upper House of the Parliament, and be elected to the National Assembly in a bye-election and subsequently the Leader of the House in August 2004. Thus he has already completed two years and running through the third year.
Despite this, in all fairness, the continuity and consistency of the policies, programmes and plans have been ensured throughout even without a minor shift or change here or there.
This continuity and consistency also encompasses in its fold the national economy and the results are very much encouraging and before everyone, so to say. According to the economic experts, including those shouldering various responsibilities in the planning and execution stages, the key to the success of economic policies all through these years has been continuity and consistency.
They claim, which is supported by facts and figures in respect of successes and achievements, that after a long time in the country's economic history a policy developed seven years ago has remained on track in terms of its direction and thrust. The reference is quite obviously the seven points agenda of reforms topped by economic turnaround which General Pervez Musharraf had set forth for the country.
As stated above, two Prime Ministers have come and gone and experienced banker and technocrat Shaukat Aziz is the third in a row but has carried forward this process as a matter of commitment and is moving in the right direction forward.
The Federal Government, headed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is determined to pursue this stance in future as well by way of liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation of the economic regime in the country.
The growth momentum that Pakistan has sustained in the recent years, according to the quarters concerned, has been mainly due to dynamism in industry, agriculture and services, and the emergence of a new investment cycle supported by strong credit growth.
With consistency and continuity of the economic reforms agenda through dedicated and devoted implementation at all stages, Pakistan has been able to achieve numerous milestones, particularly during the last two years, with respect to progress and development. "What was once a bleak hope is fast turning into an undeniable reality", an economic expert went on to remark while giving the plus and minus points of the economic growth."
As a result of consistency and continuity of economic policies, Pakistan has been able to achieve the set objectives of growth with more and more financial years in a row and maintained around 6.6 percent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the third year.
About the continuing growth momentum, the economic experts maintained "Growth has remained buoyant with real GDP growing at 6.6 percent in financial year 2005-06 as against the revised estimates of 8.6 percent during last fiscal ie 2004-05 and the 7.0 percent target for current fiscal. The key drivers of growth have been the service sectors and industry".
In fact, on the basis of facts and figures, fiscal year 2005-06 can easily be described as a very extraordinary year for the national economy. At the very onset of the year the national economy faced headwinds from rising oil prices, hovering around US $70-75 per barrel and putting severe strains on the country's trade balance and the budgetary provisions and allocations for various sectors.
This was not all. The massive earthquake of October 8, 2005 had also caused extensive damage to property, infrastructure, schools, hospitals etc and on top of everything else the very huge loss of over 70 thousand human lives including men, women and children.
The rescue and relief operations, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the earthquake hit areas also greatly burdened the Federal Budget in more than one way putting it under stress and strains. Despite these constraints, the experts say, Pakistan's economy has proved itself as a resilient in the face of shocks of extraordinary proportions.
Sustaining of the national economy growth has enabled the Federal Government to undertake vast developmental activities in almost all sectors all over the country. The Federal Government has been spending huge amounts for various sectors projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), increasing the overall allocations with the passage of every fiscal year. Pretty large number of mega projects in water, roads and highways, and other sectors have been launched and are in various stages of completion as a direct result of continuity and consistency of policies at all levels with regard to sustained development for progress and prosperity.
In short, the overall size of PSDP in financial year 2004-05 was Rs 202 billion, which was increased to Rs 313 billion in 2005-06 and further appreciably boosted to the record high level of Rs 435 billion for current financial year 2006-07.
The total outlay of PSDP 2005-06 was 4.1 percent of the GDP. This has been further increased to 4.9 percent in 2006-07 showing an increase of as much as 39 percent over 2005-06 and 115 percent over 2004-05. This unprecedented increase in development spendings would certainly help to achieve substantial growth.
These spendings in the public sector for development purposes only reflect what the Federal Government is expending. What the Provincial Governments of the Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan are spending through their respective Annual Development Programmes (ADPs) are in addition and in fact supplementing the development efforts of the Federal Government.
What is going on under the overall banner of massive all round development across the country would, in all fairness, would be dilated upon separately some other time. Quite rightly, the Federal Government's prime goal is to ensure sustained economic growth and distribution of economic benefits to the people both in the urban and rural areas of the country.
The Federal Government and the Prime Minister, in all fairness, would be well-advised to develop such a mechanism at the appropriate level to monitor whether or not the benefits of economic growth and mega developmental activities here, there and everywhere are reaching the people at large or not. All sustained economic growth and alongside launching of more and more development projects in all spheres of national life would be rendered useless and futile if the fruits of these peoples welfare and well-being oriented activities do not reach down the line to the masses at large.
Seeing is believing. When the people get the benefits in real terms they would naturally be happy and happiness would result in more work, more dedication and more devotion to ensure prosperity and progress by leaps and bounds. This is not something impossible. The people of Pakistan have been and are capable of doing wonders if their energies are channelized in the right direction through consistency, continuity of the policies in all spheres of life.