In light of WB reports
By Shahid Javed Burki
There is a dramatic change in the way the World Bank currently views Pakistan’s economic prospects. A sense of gloom surrounded much of its analysis in the mid- and late-nineties. That dark cloud has now lifted and a great deal of sunlight has begun to shine through. Before asking - and then answering - a number of questions about the Bank’s view of Pakistan over the last one decade, we should, perhaps, start with a more general question. Why should we pay a great deal of attention to what the Bank thinks about Pakistan?
The Bank’s thinking matters not only for the reason that it influences its programmes in the countries in which it is actively involved. It also matters since the Bank’s analysis of country situations are read carefully by all donors, bilateral and multilateral. No other donor can match the amount of resources - both staff and money - the Bank can commit to analyzing the economies and societies of member countries.
The most comprehensive statement on the Bank’s view of a country is spelt in a document called Country Assistance Strategy (CAS). It is prepared at regular intervals and is read carefully around the world. It is also debated at length in the institution’s board in which 24 executive directors represent nearly 200 countries that are now the members of the Bank. What they say at the board meeting reflects not only the thinking of the staff working in the offices of the executive directors; they also reflect the views of the people in the capitals of the countries they represent.