Similarly, infrastructure would also play a great role in the maintenance of GDP’s growth of eight per cent plus in the coming years: This kind of development is a must in case poverty alleviation is desired, which attains even bigger proportions when we see that below poverty figures of 25 per cent of the total population in 1999 have ballooned to over unofficial 40 per cent in 2005.
Actually, infrastructure building has many facets and then direct and indirect benefits too. In the direct ones, we see a nation with modern means of communications and indirectly, we see a spreading-out of resources and facilities-that is basically non-elitist in make-up and thus having an advantage for all segments of the society. It would- be intrinsically different from an elitist scheme or a specialist edifice.
Coming back to the subject matter and on the face of it, and at least on papers, the country seems to be ready to take-off in a big way. Thus on paper, we hear about the energy security plan, energy strategies, ambitious poverty alleviation programmes, efforts to raise governmental revenues to Rs880 billion during the financial year 2005—06, a rural electrification programme worth Rs35 billion through which as many as 5,550 new villages are to be electrified (the recent budget pronouncements even propagate the figure as 13,000), whereby providing 1.8 million fresh customers for Wapda and KESC and lastly, a phenomenal PSDP of Rs272 billion (this may reach the figure of Rs309.4 billion with investment by public corporations), again in FY 2005-06. The figures may change a little after incorporation of the up-coming NFC Award.
If all this is considered as a bench-mark for future activities viz. the activities after 2005-06, then one can safely consider the budgetary outlays for the future i.e. after the upcoming, financial year to be even more larger. In the same vein, it can be said that future expenditures under the head of infrastructure development would be surely more than the figures for the current FY, specially so when out of budget financial sources may add up to the available outlays.
And as the infrastructure development is a job left for completion to the technical resource primarily, it all translates into the fact that full brunt of the development activity likely to be set in motion for the coming years would fall squarely on the shoulders of the technical resource. As to whether the resource is geared up to tackle the issue needs separate space for discussion.
However, the basic pre-requisites for ensuring timely and cogent built-up of the required infrastructure would need, besides a host of pre-requisites, an effective planning commission, governmental resolve, adherence to the concept of a planned development, the formulation of strict parameters/boundaries for the activity of infrastructure, and the fixation of priorities for infrastructure development on the basis of national requirements and that too on a federal level canvas, which would include affirmative action for various provinces/backward areas (left behind due to various reasons).
In a way, a very strict regimen of the whole activity would need to be adopted which can even be akin to something autocratic in style but, that is, after the national priorities have been set by the people through their representatives. All this is easy as briefings/information providing sessions by technocrats would arrange for the representatives of the people to understand the actual issues and the way to accept or reject any proposal. Once the proposals are listed, effort to prioritize the same while keeping benefit-cost ratios and return on equity etc would ensue.
Besides the above, the most important of the pre-requisites would be the special place to be given to the technical resource. As a necessary corollary, technocrats would have to be brought to the forefront as against the generalists who take precedence these days. A fine success story to emulate here would be Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, the eminence given to him and the direction towards which HEC moves these days.
The question that begs for an answer is as to how necessary pre-eminence can be given to the technical resource. Experts consider this as possible through firstly recognizing the requirement, appraising the positions, then taking-up capacity building, arranging acceptance of new tools of management, inducting newer technologies and lastly through an effort to strengthen the higher technical management looking after the various organizations.
It is seen that all this is contingent upon some more imperatives like a concerted and conscious effort by the government, it’s attendant ministries and allied departments to implement a big-time programme whereby the technical resource gets post-graduate education in both local and foreign universities. In fact, it is the post-graduate studies that enable a person to understand the dynamics of higher technicalities, research and development, application and so on. Besides, it also helps in extending knowledge and research expertise through scientific inquiry, which prepares the recipients for conducting rigorous and high quality work subsequently. It also is important that public sector universities may start new programmes relevant to the development to be carried out.
Experts are of the opinion, which all is substantiated by facts, that without the above pre-requisites the present effort to provide for the built-up of the infrastructure is nearly floundering, when only 49 per cent of the PSDP funds could be actually utilized till May 2405. The quality of the works under-taken is another issue which too needs to be considered for corrective action.
Once the above is taken up in earnest, an effort would then be made to dove-tail private and public resources into partnerships, which would become the real engine for the infrastructure building activity in about five to ten year’s time. But all this, as narrated in the preceding paras, is away from today and would only be of importance after the basic work is done by the public- sector / federal and the provincial governments.
Here, it would be appropriate if we refer the Chinese example where public sector has been the engine of growth and the force behind the eventual strengthening of the private sector in that part of the world. In fact, the public sector is still on the job and carries on with nation building there, while the private sector does, other jobs.
As the sociological and cultural situation of China and Pakistan is comparatively similar and also that the former was once exactly at a place where we stand today, it would be proper if we follow the Chinese example. It is only in this manner, that public sector would ever help in strengthening the private sector.
Concurrent with the basics of infrastructural development being available and evident in the required slots, it would be the time for preparation of the national technical resource directory, third party inspections modules and a stricter audit and accountability systems. Another offshoot to the Pakistani way of doing things in the present style of bringing in soon to be retired or already retired senior officers from the armed forces to head various nation building departments. This needs to be shunned as it all is simply retrograde, rather a step towards continuation’ of the old way of doing things which has long since been left as trite by the West.
Similar is the situation when favourites from amongst the so-called corporate world (even if their earlier wards were at the best mediocre successes) and from amongst the staid bureaucrats are brought in to further spoil the broth. Actually, the national building departments need to be headed from within.
In order to do so or be able to do so, necessary succession planning programmes would have to be formulated and then implemented. Additionally, skills and culture fit assessments, analysis of past performances, reference checks and experience tests can lead to the creation of vast talent pools amongst the technical resource, which can then help in arranging for the correct make-up of the higher managements of various nation-building departments.