Extra economic issues

LAHORE: There are humanitarian issues other than the appreciation of rupee and buoyancy in the capital market which include provision of adequate food at affordable prices, availability of life saving drugs, speedy and fair justice, and life without fear for the poor.

The feel-good factor would come when these issues are addressed. These issues relate to good governance and better administration.

We are suffering from food shortages yet the wastage of food ranges from 15 percent (for grains) to 40 percent for fruits and vegetables.

The rich waste the food by throwing the excess cooked meals in the garbage.

It is a shame that the poor try to retrieve food from garbage and filth. Prices remain unreasonably high because supplies are managed through hoarding.

Black-market prices are out of reach of the poor. The rates of agricultural produce are half or 1/3 at the farm gate.

Middlemen earn more profit than the farmers that toil day and night to nurture the crops. No government has been able to eliminate the middlemen from agricultural trade or at least reduce their role substantially. Hoarders come from the middlemen.

Shortage of drugs in Pakistani markets is a new normal. There are numerous life-saving drugs that frequently disappear from the market.

Patients who use these drugs do find them in black market but at a very high price. Those that fail to buy at high cost live a very miserable life. Some die without claiming.

The pharmaceutical companies have a fair idea of the quantity of each medicine needed in the market. It is true that they operate on a commercial basis, but in case of high costs these companies could afford to produce one or two essential drugs at zero profit to save patients from suffering.

The state on its parts should be vigilant on the drugs front and adjust the prices promptly in line with increase in cost. Prices should be adjusted both ways.

For instance, the prices were likely to increase on huge depreciation of rupee but now that the rupee is appreciating the price must come down.

Getting justice is getting so expensive that many poor prefer to lose assets rather than fight for their retrieval as they simply do not have resources to bear litigation costs. Those who do pursue do so by selling whatever other assets they have and then by taking loans which they cannot pay back until they get justice in the cases.

Cases linger on for even decades including appeals in higher courts. The justice system needs revamping in a way to ensure speedy and fair justice at affordable cost. Adjournments cost the litigants heavily as most lawyers now charge on the basis of appearance in the court.

Law enforcers exploit poorer segments unduly. Even in case of traffic we see dozens of motorcycles lined up to check while cars are normally exempted.

It is very rare to see a policeman confronting a luxury car driver on a traffic violation. Cars that roam about on roads after midnight are not checked, but a poor tired pedestrian going back home is detained by law enforcement personnel for questioning. Residents of slums make sure to reach home before dark. They fear law enforcers that seek rent to let them go.