Loud Thinking

Archive for 2013

Few Suggestions to Revive Economy, Fast Track Improvements in Energy Crisis and National Security Policy

H’able Mian Nawaz Sharif Sahab

Salaam.

This is to felicitate you and your team for a highly successful visit to China. I know you must not even be resting in your sleep and always pondering how to put back Pakistan on its rails, which obviously is a gigantic task. However, Allah gives the hardest battles to the strongest soldiers.

Under the circumstances, revival of economy, minimising terrorism and restoration of law and order are the crying needs of Pakistan.

Your kind attention is invited to my earlier email informing that the news that Abu Dhabi has planned a $50 billion investment in India; and the negotiations are at a very advanced level. Abu Dhabi has the WORLDS BIGGEST SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND . Now considering the following plus points of Pakistan:

i. Pakistan is the only country in the world which allows foreign investors to repatriate 100% profit and investment without any hassle.

ii. There is no income tax on IPP’s in Pakistan.

iii. The Indians are severely annoying the Abu Dhabi people with objections on their deal of Etihad Air with Jet Airways of India, which will give EA rights over 37,000 weekly seats in India, after EA purchases 24% shares of Jet Airways. Pakistan must grab this opportunity and offer a suitable agreement with PIA. Indian Jet Airways is in much more bad financial shape than PIA and is owned PRIVATELY.

iv. Pakistan should also offer to Abu Dhabi, management sharing in other avenues like, Port Qasim, KPT, steel mills, OGDC, PNSC etc., in lieu of their investment.

v. Pakistan can also offer to Abu Dhabi to invest in new Islamabad Airport, expansion and development of other airports, helicopter and small planes air taxi service to and from big cities to many smaller cities and towns, and development and export of world class fisheries, corporate farming, export of dairy products, fruits, flowers etc.

vi. Abu Dhabi had a very long and successful JV experience with Pakistan viz., Pak Arab Fertilisers Limited. Now they can be offered such JV’s for Refineries, Oil and Gas explorations, defence related production items and air craft manufacturings etc.

Proposals for Energy sector policies.

In this regard, few suggestions are submitted for your perusal and consideration.

Energy

1. Immediate action may be initiated for meeting the electricity shortfall from both the demand as well as, the supply side.

2. From the supply side, it has been reported that if electricity is imported from other countries like India, it may take two years for just 1000 MW availability. In my opinion, if wind and solar energy farms are deployed on a war footing basis, we can generate much more energy, in less than a years time.

3. Another better way to give IMMEDIATE relief to the general public, is to order the banks to give interest free loans for installation of complete day and night working solar energy systems (I have one working at my residence of 4000 Watt capacity which runs each and every domestic item except air conditioners, which are on WAPDA power). In this regard, public should also be allowed to import all Solar system items and batteries duty free.

Moreover, dual system or two way metering, electricity meters be also allowed to be installed, so that any spare electricity going into the WAPDA system, be adjustable in the bill.

4. No shop or business concern be allowed to be open after 7 PM in the evening. This law should be strictly and ruthlessly applied, without any distinction or discrimination. Further, , there should be a complete ban on decorative lightings and other wasteful electricity usage.

4(a). In view of the recent government report that over 40% electricity bills are not paid/recovered and also the known huge gas thefts of billions of Rupees, an across the board crack down with iron hand on stealers of electricity and gas, without any discrimination, must be unleashed, so that there was NO NEED FOR INCREASE OF POWER AND GAS RATES TO PUNISH THE HONEST PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY PAYING EACH AND EVERY PENNY OF THE BILLS HONESTLY. REPEAT DON’T PUNISH THE HONEST AND DON’T REWARD THE THIEVES BY EASY METHOD OF GENERATING REVENUE THROUGH HIKE IN TARIFFS. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY FED UP WITH THE PRICE INCREASE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TAKING OVER OF NEW PMLN GOVERNMENT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SIGN AND YOU MUST NOT ALLOW THE SUGGESTIONS WHICH WILL FORCE MASSES TO GO AGAINST YOUR GOVERNMENT. YOU MUST NOT REPEAT MUST NOT ALLOW YOUR ADVISORS TO MAKE NAWAZ SHARIF OF MURSI IN LESS THAN A YEARS TIME.

5. As was allowed in your earlier rule, all marriage halls should only serve soup or cold drink and serving of food be strictly prohibited.

6. If you want to earn a few quick billion USD’s in the government coffers, go for a very fast track 3G telecom license auction, under a very honest man like Justice Bhagwan Das Sahab. Plus also go for auction, again on a very fast track basis, for the installation of excise revenue tax stamps system on cigarettes manufacturing units. The Turkish government, where cigarette consumption is almost equal to Pakistan, is getting additional revenue of 2 billion US Dollars, with the installation of this system (gradually this system can be implemented on other excise paying items). These two auctions, will not cost a single penny to the government, but may give a revenue income boost of about 5 billion US Dollars, IF THE AUCTION IS DONE PRUDENTLY AND HONESTLY, particularly in the telecom auction, no one should be allowed payments in INSTALMENTS AND ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE IN USD ONLY.

7. Last, but not the least, Pakistan can not be put back on the track, till such time normalcy and peace is restored in the entire length and breadth of the country, for which Pakistan immediately needs an original and home grown security policy, which should be later on implemented, as is being done in the USA, by the Homeland Security Department, without any exemption or discrimination for the VIP’s etc. Besides other comprehensive details, this policy should also aim in the long run, to make Pakistan a gun free country. This may sound a bit far fetched idea, but then not failure, but low aim is a crime and in order to achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought. Moreover, Pakistan has reached a stage of life and death against the terrorism, which has virtually blown the country to the smithereens. So, the security policy makers must be clearly told to not just copy and paste the American or Israeli security policy measures. Ours is a different case and we have NO OTHER OPTION EXCEPT TO PREVAIL OVER THE MENACE OF TERRORISM IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME. As such, our security policy paradigms should be proactive, ingenious and visionary. At any cost we have to be a step head of our internal and external enemies. This security policy should be an amalgamation of internal, external, defence, religious and national issues.

Wishing you Godspeed in your endeavours to uplift Pakistan from the abyss.

Best regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Lahore.
snayyar.com

Sent from my iPad3 4G LTE

Creating opportunities

A letter published by the daily “The Nation” on March 03, 2013

Adaptation is the secret of success. Building a robust test team is no rocket science. One has to be just one step ahead of the competition. Just closely watch how South Africa, England and Australia are focusing their time and energy on keeping a top level in test format. Moreover, until and unless Pakistani players are given rigorous sessions of fast pitches, with special bouncing balls, to expect our batsmen to perform better than their opponents, is to live in a fool’s paradise.
As they say, practice makes one perfect. And for an ordinary person, it was never difficult to predict the outcome of the ensuing Pakistan Vs South Africa Test encounters in South Africa. Particularly when Misbahul Haq is known for his pessimism, he spread his negative energy. To think that you have lost, without even trying, can be a killer blow. A positive attitude brings strength, energy, motivation and initiative. Just before the start of the series, his comments left no doubt that he had surrendered the series before even a ball was bowled.
As Viv Richards said “Cricket is a mind game.” And as Imran Khan said “playing for a draw is the best recipe for defeat.” If the objective of any captain, before entering the ground, is to wait and see, rather than win, how can he marshal his players to victory? You have to create opportunities, like they say you have to create run outs. At times, you have to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In any sport, one team wins and the other loses. There is no harm in losing if, you give a good fight. The only objectionable thing is abject surrender.
Now, someone must tell Misbah that, “In any fight, if a wolf is given to lead the lions, all lions will die fighting like a wolf. However, in any fight, if a lion is given to lead the wolves, all wolves will put up a fight like a lion, irrespective of the outcome of that fight.” Our team management should have told Misbah that offence is the best defence.

SYED NAYYAR UDDIN AHMAD,
Lahore, February 26.

Rebuilding Pakistan

3-4-2013

Pakistan is slowly inching towards economic bankruptcy and civil war. I suggest that we formulate a new social contract especially designed for the betterment of the 95 percent of the ‘have-nots’, who always pay 100 percent bills and taxes and never default on bank loans. Let us make a new Pakistan, which is redesigned to cater to the needs of the exploited. In order to achieve these objectives, it is proposed that the following steps may be initiated jointly by the government, the opposition, the bench and the bar, civil and military bureaucracy, students, trade unions and the civil society.

For this: the constitution may be amended to change the current faulty election system, which ensures the rule of the minority over the majority. The election system should also be changed so that the whole country directly votes for a president or the prime minister. Pakistan’s charter of development for the next fifty years should also be finalised in such a way that it is not politicised. And in order to empower the maximum number of people to enjoy the fruits of self-rule, we should convert every division of Pakistan into a province.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
Lahore

Patience is to wait calmly for someone or something even if they are really really late.

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.”

Ray Bradbury (born 1920);
author

May be it is not a fit case of suo moto action as mostly poorest of the poor kids are dying and for whom there is no country, no government, no law and no justice, no food, no security, no education and no health care in this world.

The latest Measles epidemic situation in Punjab:

Total children deaths in the province of Punjab……187

Total children deaths in Lahore………………….85

Last 24 hours reported cases in the province of Punjab…………………102
Lahore………………….12

In spite of the reported breaking of the cold chain (and consequent loss of the vaccine efficacy) of the measles vaccine, due to the embezzlement and theft of the refrigerators, not a soul has moved and no responsibility fixed as yet.

Hope sooner than later Mian Shahbaz Sharif will soon spring into action to console with the poor to assure them that they are not citizens of a lesser country.

3 People to Talk to When You’re New on the Job

When you start at a new company, there is so much new information that it’s difficult to know where to focus. Here are three important sources you don’t want to overlook:
Frontline employees. People who develop and manufacture products or deliver services can familiarize you with the organization’s basic processes and relationships with key customers.
Integrators. Colleagues who coordinate interaction across functions (think project or plant managers) can tell you how different areas mesh—or don’t. They can shed light on the true political hierarchies.
Natural historians. Keep an eye out for “old-timers” who have been with the firm for a long time. They’ll be able to teach you about the company’s mythology and the roots of its culture.

Adapted by HBR from The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded.

“Don’t waste your time looking back at what you’ve lost. Move
on, life is not meant to be traveled backwards.”

— Author Unknown

Mr. Chief Minister Punjab today’s tomato rate was Rs. 160 per KG.

Believe-In-Yourself is having a good self-confidence.