16 May 2004 Sunday 25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 Remittances reach $3.2bn in 10 months KARACHI, May 15: Workers' remittances or money sent back home by overseas Pakistanis have reached $3.21 billion in ten months to April 2004. This means that the total remittances during this fiscal year may touch $3.8 billion mark. ... Govt to review progress on social compliance KARACHI, May 15: The federal labour ministry has convened a meeting of the business leaders on Monday to take stock of the legislation exercises done so far for the compliance of the social, health, safety and environmental standards being demanded ... Tax return forms being amended ISLAMABAD, May 15: The tax authorities have proposed amendments in the income tax return form to get maximum information from the taxpayers. ... Chinese support assured: Infrastructure projects ISLAMABAD, May 15: China has assured Pakistan of continued participation of Chinese firms in infrastructure projects, particularly, in power and railways. ... Economic reforms with a human face KARACHI, May 15: The Indian Congress has won the general elections on its pledge to give economic reforms a human face. Its commitments to the voters include no privatization of profitable state units and a pro-poor approach to economic reforms. ... Cotton market awaiting final crop figures KARACHI, May 15: Steady conditions prevailed on the cotton market on Saturday as buyers and sellers kept to the sidelines ahead of release of final crop figures by PCGA early next week. ... Pesticide firms, seed suppliers criticized MULTAN, May 15: Role of official and unofficial seed suppliers and pesticides firms came under severe criticism by the growers and minister of state for agriculture at a meeting held here on Saturday to formulate cotton policy for 2004-05. ... Steel prices: PS version KARACHI, May 15: Pakistan Steel, clarifying a news item: "Pakistan Steel raises prices" attributed to ICI, has said that PS supplies coke, which is a basic raw material for its blast furnaces, to various buyers including ICI to promote the local industry. ... Are these rights or favours? It is rural India that turned the tables on Vajpayee. Competent political maneuvering and GDP growth above 7 per cent failed to impress the poor or meet their need for basic amenities. The landscape here is almost the same. ... Shaukat endorses role of state as service provider ISLAMABAD: The government's role in improving the social sector through strong strategies is very critical because this is one of the major drivers of delivering better services to the people. ... No one cares for rural poor MULTAN: Mian Khizer Hayat Bhutta, owner of a mango orchard spreading over an area of 15 acres in village Khairpur Bhutta near Multan, says: "Income from farming hardly makes both ends meet, although the monetary value of my property runs into millions of rupees." ... Quality education in NWFP still a far cry PESHAWAR: Aurangzeb owns a shop in a crowded market in Peshawar where he sells garlands made out of flowers and currency notes. He is 35 years old and his major worry is to provide his two sons good education. ... Public hospitals run sans medicines KARACHI: Out of a total Rs640 million budget for the country's oldest and biggest government hospital, the Civil Hospital Karachi, almost 80 per cent - Rs 540 million - goes to salaries of doctors and paramedical staff ... Punjab faring no better LAHORE: Gulzar Ahmed, 41, works as machine supervisor at a factory near Thokar Niaz Beg on Multan Road. Each morning, six days a week, he travels about 25 kilometres to work by bus or wagon from his residence in a lower income locality in Sadar. ... Balochistan offers little hope QUETTA: Akbar Baloch is a Grade-17 officer in a government department. Living in a three-bedroom house in a government colony along with his four children and wife. He is drawing around Rs13,000 a month salary. ... Situation pathetic in rural Sindh KARACHI: Sindh is the richest province of Pakistan in terms of economic resources. There are two ports that generate almost $24 billion of Pakistan's annual sea trade. ... Taxpayers deserve better deal KARACHI: When it becomes difficult for masses to afford living even at a bare minimum standard, least a state can do is to provide them with some relief through reduction in taxes. ... Companies vying to be 'good corporate citizens' KARACHI: When they spend on social sectors, companies are proud to call themselves: A "good corporate citizen". Because of their enormous resources, most multinational corporations (MNCs) fall in that rank for majority of the local firms ... Education: a victim of negligence KARACHI: The plight of CMS Government Boys Secondary/ Primary School, the alma mater of the father of the nation, is just one example of the poor state of education in the country. It lacks books, funds and has poorly trained teachers. ... Glimpses of everyday life KARACHI: Ambreen and Imtiaz flew off to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah this week. Imtiaz with a modest salary from a private job had been planning for the visit for long, but never managed to save enough. ... Provision of social services stressed ISLAMABAD: Shoaib Sultan Khan is among the pioneers of participatory rural development in Pakistan. Winner of the 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership ... Capital market has a role to play KARACHI: The country's capital markets may not have any direct role to play in the social sector. But they have a relevance in a broader context of the issue. ... Socio-economic indicators and development KARACHI: If Pakistan wishes to achieve the sustainable development, it will have to improve its socio-economic indicators ahead of growth targets compounded by assured sustainable policies for the progress of the civil society. ... Opec quota rise may not cool oil markets RIYADH, May 15: Calls from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and even Iran to increase the Opec output quota, by somewhere around 1.5-2 million bpd from the current 23.5 million bpd, may not make much difference in the oil markets. ...

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