Country’s corruption rank disturbing

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Wednesday expressed concern over Pakistan’s slide in the Corruption Perceptions Index in which the country has ranked140 out of 180 countries.
The development is disturbing amid tall claims of good governance, transparency and accountability, it said. Pakistan has dropped 16 spots on the global Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021 which is a major blow to the government which came to power on the promise of introducing a clean governance system, said said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW.
He said the economy could not be revived over the last three and a half years and there are slim chances that the economy will perform in the next year and a half.
Almost all the important sectors of the economy are deteriorating while those responsible for economic development are still preferring tall claims over concrete facts, it said.
Miseries of the people will increase by the passage of time if the current set of policies were not changed,
Slogans, claims and manipulating statistics will never boost the limping economy and reduce the sufferings of the people facing unprecedented, he added. In a statement issued here today, Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that for the last three and a half years important decisions regarding the economy have been taken on political grounds instead of merit.
The policy of previous governments to rob the poor to reward the rich continues while no one is being allowed to work hard on important posts while the pace of reshuffling of key officials in the FBR, Finance Department, Board of Investment and other key departments is even faster, leading to confusion and unrest in official circles.
He said that reforms were needed in key sectors which were ignored triggering the rapid decline of the economy which has taken a toll on the majority of the population.
About two and a half billion dollars worth of gas is stolen annually in the country and instead of controlling it, billions of dollars of gas is being imported in which new records of mismanagement have been set, he observed.
Electricity tariffs are constantly being raised but new connections are not being provided to reduce losses, recovery is being emphasized and theft is not being stopped which has caused a loss of almost 4.5 trillion rupees.
The deficit of PIA, steel mills, railways and other state-owned companies has reached Rs 2,000 billion but no tough decision is being taken in this regard for political interests, he said.