Liberalising economy can unlock trillions
The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (Pide), a state-owned think tank, has asked the government to shift gear from bureaucratic permissions to rule-based market liberalisation, exploit over Rs300 billion annual revenue potential from real estate through transparency, generate gains in agriculture sector worth Rs1.7 trillion and open up public land in Islamabad worth Rs2.2tr for private investment — all through immediate and widespread reforms led through firms specialising in digitisation. In its ambitious reform advice, “ISLAAH: Immediate Reform Agenda — IMF and Beyond“, to the government, the think tank said the proposed plan would respond to Pakistan’s urgent need for external financing exceeding $120bn over the next five years.