"What's the difference between an economist and an accountant?"
"Oh no, not that again!"
"The difference has become relevant yet again."
"For an accountant to be appointed as an economist requires influence, connections, relationship by marriage..."
"You are being person specific - you know I don't approve of that."
"OK, I apologise. The difference between an accountant and an economist is that while the latter gets a degree from a university requiring interaction with other students, professors, all part of the learning process, a qualified accountant needs to be articled with a company, could be a two man show, and pass an examination - I am talking UK - and the examination restricts the numbers passing each year to ensure that supply of new accountants does not exceed demand. No such condition is relevant for an economist."
"Aha! One up for accountants! Supply of economists could exceed demand."
"Not in this country! I mean the number of accountants' is so many...granted they are all highly visible in the Ministry of Finance but..."
"And there you have the difference. An accountant is focused on balancing the right side of the table with the left come what may....but an economist is more concerned with empirical research that would justify the continuation of any policy."
"Hunh?"
"There, you sounded just like an accountant. What I meant is, for instance, the privatisation policy..."
"Dar says PIA is not being privatised but a strategic investor is being sought and no one will lose his/her job and..."
"Precisely and I ask him if he or any of his junior accountants have ever deemed it appropriate to carry out empirical research on past sales to a strategic investor. I mean from what I can see charges of nepotism have been levelled at the Sharif administration for past such sales, and if you restrict the strategic investor from taking appropriate decisions including firing excess staff if need be, then you are tying his hands, and let's not forget the K Electric experience and..."
"Oh I see what you mean... no, our accountant is focused on getting the money from the sale and placing it as his hard earned revenue to balance the books."
"I rest my case."