Loud Thinking

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

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