Soaring material cost likely to hit NPHP
Lockdown, tax policies among reasons of price hike
PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Following the announcement of a package of incentives for the construction sector by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the prices of almost all the material used in the sector have increased because of disruption of supplies from China owing to Covid-19 restrictions, strict implementation taxation and import policies and a rise in the energy tariffs.
Stakeholders fear that the rising costs may also affect the government’s lowcost housing initiative. Speaking to The Express Tribune, a former chairman of the Pakistan Re-Rolling Mills Association, Asmat Pervaiz disclosed that almost Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 per tonne increase has been witnessed in steel products’ prices. “Increase in demand following announcement of the construction sector package is one of the main reasons of this increase besides inflationary trend in steel scrap prices in international markets. In addit
Many development projects of the PTI government appear to benefit only the affluent
Development policy under Imran Khan is a saga of revolutionary promises and regressive outcomes. The problem is that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has not moved to direct the country’s development policy and practice to serve the ordinary.
The PTI has shown that it took over without even the minimum preparation needed to deliver what it promised. The lack of preparedness is visible in the fact of unelected experts continuing to chair taskforce meetings to go beyond the documents on Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP). The parliament has been kept away from taking control of policymaking. There was a possibility, however remote, of citizens’ participation in development policy, especially in the Punjab. It was killed by rolling back the local governments in the province in early 2019. The role of the unelected (bureaucrats, experts and contractors) in development policy has therefore grow
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‘Opposition will cry if there’s no open vote’
Top Story
February 11, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the opposition would cry if there is secret voting in Senate elections as in that case, the government could get more seats.
Talking to journalists in Rawalpindi’s Kalar Syedan Tehsil, he revealed that in the past, he was offered money for Senate seats while at present, the rate of becoming a senator in Balochistan is going up from Rs 500 million to 700 million. “Everyone knows that Senate votes are sold. “Remember, it is easier for the government and we can take more than our seats because the government has the power, but we are sitting in the government, so there should be an open ballot,” he contended.