Pakistan
spends billions of dollars annually on import of furnace oil used by
thermal power plants, cement manufacturing units and other processing
industries. The use of indigenous coal, as a source of energy,
will not only make locally produced items competitive but will also
help in saving substantial forex spent on import of furnace oil.
However, inadequate infrastructure, storage and handling facilities
are the major impediments in smooth transition. The global shift back
to coal utilization and the advent of Clean Coal Technologies demands
its obligatory utilization to be reinforced by a long-term Coal
Policy.
PETROLEUM
SECTOR
The excellent timings for
deregulation of petroleum sector in Pakistan and the three energy
conferences in UK, USA and Canada to attract foreign investors in oil
and gas sector shows the business acumen of the economic managers in
Pakistan.
GWADAR
A
deep drafted port at Gwadar may turn another business hub of Pakistan
after Karachi. The interest shown by China to extend a $250 million
loan on soft-term for phase-1 of Gwadar deep-sea port has become a
talking point internationally. The total cost of the project is
estimated at $1.16 billion.
SOCIAL
INDICATORS
Economic
Survey is the annual pre-budget document published by the government. The
statistics compiled and printed by the government can help us understanding the
economic progress, or lack of it. PAGE has picked out selective economic,
social and financial indicators, collated them wherever necessary and analysed
them to better understand what they imply.
