Strange choice

This refers to the news item ‘Govt moves ahead with outsourcing of three key airports’ (March 31, 2023). The three airports in question are profitable and provide huge revenues to the Civil Aviation Authority. The facilities may not be comparable with world class airports, but they are of a reasonably good standard. The airports mainly serve Pakistani citizens and the overseas Pakistanis. Hardly any foreign tourists or businessmen travel to Pakistan owing to the country’s negative image.

The outsourcing is unlikely to generate higher revenues. The revenue collection would be in rupees while the agreed management fee of the international operator would be repatriated in dollars, thereby denting the already meagre SBP reserves. Currently, millions of dollars in profits and dividends of foreign companies are stuck with the State Bank due to the dollar crisis. Why exacerbate this problem?

Arif Majeed

Karachi