SUMMARY of the Article “A reform agenda” by Miftah Ismail, February 17th, 2024

The article addresses the challenges faced by the incoming government in Pakistan, emphasizing issues in fiscal management, human development, and governance. On the fiscal front, the country grapples with high inflation, a budgetary deficit exceeding 7% of national income, energy crises impacting industry and consumers, substantial foreign and local debt repayments, and a sluggish export sector. In the realm of human development, Pakistan struggles with alarming infant mortality rates, high female fertility rates, significant child malnutrition, a large out-of-school population, and widespread poverty. Governance concerns include an ineffective local government system, inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs), a cumbersome bureaucracy, prolonged court cases, and a beleaguered police force. The author proposes several reforms for the incoming government, including urgent population control measures, revisiting the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for balanced tax distribution, empowering local governments constitutionally, privatizing and regulating SOEs, » Read More…