12 April 2004 Monday 21 Safar 1425 Negative perception hindering investment Foreign investors have advised the government to remove negative perception that prevents Pakistan from emerging as a strategic destination for global capital. ... Crisis in the IMF Rats, they say, are first to desert a sinking ship. It was therefore with great relief that Horst Kohler resigned as the IMF boss in March. ... Cleaning up the corporate clutter The government is to come up soon with a new law to liquidate bankrupt or non-functioning companies which are too many in the country and foul up the corporate environment. ... Some headway in farm talks at WTO The on-again, off-again negotiations on agriculture which resumed last month at the WTO headquarters in Geneva seem to have undergone a change of tone and that delegates from rival blocs have started listening to each other. And it is no trivial headway. ... Improving performance through technical audit The performance of technical departments- specially 'utilities' have always been under the spot light- more so because of the heightened expectations of the customers of these departments and organizations have to serve. ... Privatization of the PTCL The government's track record on privatization has been very poor whether under the present government or its predecessors. The losing enterprises are still with us and will continue to be with us ... How to develop the global village After the demise of the socialist mode of production in the Soviet Union, capitalism emerged as the only global alternative. Socialism was also supposed to be a new paradigm of wealth distribution in society. ... Venture capital financing Venture capital financing (VCF) is an activity by which investor supports entrepreneurial talent with finance and business skill to exploit market opportunities and thus obtain long-term capital gains. ... NFC: no consensus over distribution formula Once again, controversy over the criteria for distribution of financial resources between the federation and the four provincial units has cropped up, compelling Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali to make a call for mobilizing adequate financial resources for all the five stakeholders. ... Addressing water supply in Karachi As the peak summer season is approaching, the urban water supply system is showing signs of impending collapse. According to a news report (Dawn, April 5, 04), a secondary supply line was burst due to mis-coordination of pumping station and valve-men of a neighbourhood in Gulshan-e-lqbal Town. ... Target fixation of various crops: Roles of the centre and units The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) annually undertakes the exercise of fixing targets for crops. A host of meetings of experts from the sector are held to decide on targets for main crops ... Impact of participatory irrigation Despite the fact that "Participatory Irrigation Management" (PIM) is a new concept for the people of Sindh. It has started delivering concrete results in a short period of about one and half year ... Time for farm stakeholders to unite This is the time of the year when the centre and the provinces begin the annual ritual of consultations on the formation of next year's budget and also annual plans. ... Issue of child labour Child labour is an important issue of the world today as approximately over 600 million children worldwide live in absolute poverty. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 per cent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines. ... Stock market on history creating run The KSE 100-share index sustained upward thrust beyond the crucial level of 5,000 points. The liquidity-drive rally was not inclined to take even a technical breather, apparently before the next pre-determined target of 5,500 points was hit. ... Liquidity flows in money market According to the Statement of Affairs of the State Bank of Pakistan, for the week ended April 03, 2004, balances held outside Pakistan in approved foreign exchange rose in the week under review. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004