LAHORE, Aug 7: The federal government proposes to raise the salaries of scientists, researchers and academics in the next two to three months in order to plug brain drain from the country. This was stated by Federal Science and Technology Minister Nourez Shakoor in his presidential address at a two-day conference on the proposed framework for a model national science and technology policy, which began here on Monday.

He said the ministry had sent a summary in this regard to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for his approval. He said brain drain was the biggest challenge facing the developing nations at the moment.

The conference was also addressed by LCCI president Mian Shafqat Ali, senior vice-president Abdul Basit, vice-president Aftab Ahmad Vohra and LCC standing committee on science and technology convener Mian Fazal Ahmad.

Mr Shakoor said his ministry would incorporate all the LCCI proposals in the national policy on science and technology to be announced shortly. He admitted that only because of lack of proper research, the whole economy of the country was suffering. “Had a little more attention been given in the past the situation would have been quite different.”

He said the present government while realising this fact had already doubled the allocations for education and health sectors. About the ongoing energy crisis, he said the government was giving special attention to the renewable energy projects in collaboration with private sector.

Mian Shafqat Ali said Pakistan’s agriculture produce was among the best in the world, but it had failed to fully exploit the traditional strength in agriculture, horticulture, livestock breeding and food processing because of lack of technology.

He said Pakistan’s exports were rice, textiles and sports goods, which were not high in value addition. On the other hand, the country continued to be the importer of machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, edible oil, iron and steel, fertilisers etc, which were highly value added items.

The latest developments in the region called for a forward-looking policy for science and technology, he said.

He said the fact was that unlike India, Pakistan had always neglected the education sector for quite a long time especially in the area of science and technology. Last year, India’s IT exports were more than Pakistan’s total exports.

He said Pakistan was facing challenges of fast track national economic growth, poverty alleviation, better quality of life and economic independence.

Basit called for short-term and long-term policies to achieve desired results in education sector. He also urged the federal minister to enhance the retirement age of scientists and professors at least by five years.

He said the national science and technology policy enforced in 1984 could not be implemented at all and thereafter no successive governments even thought of updating and enforcing it. “Consequently, scientific and technological development in the country, which also covers engineering sectors, remained at very low level.”

Mian Fazal Ahmad said the economy had been suffering from comparatively low export target, high imports, high rate of unemployment and lack of innovation. He said political independence and sustainability depended on the strength in science and technology. “Big powers rule the world only on that basis.”

He said the present government had resolved to strengthen the economy and had been taking steps for economic revitalisation. “Success has been achieved in certain sectors. However a lot is yet to be done to achieve a breakthrough for any real economic revamping and modernisation. It is the only way for a strong Pakistan and achieving an honourable place in the comity of nations.”