Re: A critical look at the Pak economy
TNS: So are big dams like Kalabagh the only solution to the energy crisis ?
KB: Dams don’t produce water , they only store water and you don’t have water . Even now you cannot store **water **in Tarbela and Mangla to their full capacity.
KB totally missed the question
TNS: In an ideal economic model, what sort of a role do you see for the private and public sectors?
KB: Private sector is good in producing those commodities, which are low technology and require small capital investments. We have seen that our private sector is unable to put together large outlays. We have no one in this country of the calibre of Tata or Ambani in India. These are areas where the state will invest.
TNS: But then the state tends to overstaff ?
KB: There is no problem with that . This is where your economic and **social values **come in. Is the purpose of the state merely to fill the pockets of the profit makers? Or is the state supposed to work for the welfare of the maximum number of people?
That explains nationalization spree of ZA Bhutto, seems like they are still maintaining it. No institution can run by state when it is over staffed and staffing becomes a political event. Take PIA, it has become trash now. Take NBP. etc etc.
