Pakistan looks to Chinese model to eradicate poverty
In his numerous public speeches, Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed the desire to learn from China how to fight the monsters of poverty, rampant corruption, and the downfall of the agriculture sector. Experts and political analysts believe that poverty can’t be eliminated without launching appropriately targeted programs, just like China did. To better devise policies while using the limited resources efficiently, they say, the Chinese model to eradicate poverty is crucial to understand.
learn from China how to fight the monsters of poverty
Pakistan
is keen to eliminate the multidimensional poverty by creating job
opportunities, giving unemployment insurance, taking care of the
disadvantaged or disabled and providing people with basic health and
education facilities, among other things.
All
this because the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has envisioned
that Pakistan should be a welfare state where the state should play a
key role in the protection and promotion of the social and economic
wellbeing of its citizens.
In
his one of his addresses to the nation, the premier while elaborating
the notion of the welfare state had said that state should pay and take
care of the disadvantaged or disabled, orphans, widows and those who
can’t work because of a disease, old age or any infirmity. With an aim
to take a radical departure from the conventional trajectory, PM Khan
has time and again said that the state should take the responsibility of
those who are unable to earn a livelihood.
PM
Khan keeps mentioning the Riyasat-e-Madina (State of Madina) — the
period of Prophet Muhammad and first four Muslim caliphs — but in his
numerous public speeches, he has expressed the desire to learn from
China how to fight the monsters of poverty, rampant corruption, and the
downfall of the agriculture sector.
“Pakistan
would like to learn from Chinese experience in poverty alleviation,
fighting corruption and agriculture development through sharing
expertise, technology and best practices in the sector,” he was quoted
as saying by Pakistani media.
In
a subsequent meeting with members of a visiting delegation of the
Communist Party of China (CPC), the Minister of International
Development of China Song Tao had not only assured PM Khan of China’s
support at regional and international level but made it certain that
China would help Pakistan in poverty alleviation, fighting corruption
and agricultural reforms.
While
terming the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a flagship
project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Mr Tao had said that CPEC and
BRI would make significant contributions towards building a “Naya”
(new) Pakistan — the term that PM Khan has been using since his election
campaign.
In
his recent keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second Belt
and Road Forum in Beijing, PM Khan suggested collaboration on creating a
poverty alleviation fund, among other things as he believes the way
China has lifted around 800 million people out of poverty while another
thirty million would be lifted by 2020, Pakistan should also do the
same. Perhaps, that is why Khan has called for greater attention towards
tackling poverty while Pakistan and China enter the next phase of CPEC.
In
a new report, the World Bank has stated that China’s massive Belt and
Road infrastructure can speed up economic development and reduce poverty
for dozens of developing countries. The report has revealed that Belt
and Road, which will connect China to Europe via central and Southern
Asia through ports, railways, roads and bridges, has the capability to
lift roughly 32 million people out of poverty conditions.
When
I say Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of CPEC, it is
pertinent to mention that as many as 700,000 new job opportunities for
local people are estimated to be created by 2030 under CPEC. According
to the Chinese Embassy documents, CPEC has so far provided direct job
opportunities to 75,000 people across the country. In addition, the
Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms of Pakistan has estimated
that CPEC can create even 1.2 million jobs if the presently agreed
projects are completed.
Reportedly,
poverty alleviation is a significant issue as 24.3 percent of
population still lives under perilous conditions in Pakistan. Keeping in
view the World Bank report and news job opportunities that are linked
with CPEC, I believe, Pakistan should ensure that the CPEC is completed
within stipulated time because it would ultimately take a lot of burden
away from government’s shoulder.
“Ehsaas”
Pulling
people out of poverty is mandatory for the economic and social
wellbeing of any country. In order to eradicate poverty, the new
government has started various projects. The boldest and the most
important is a policy framework for its poverty alleviation program,
“Ehsaas” (care or to feel for others).
On
March 27, PM Khan had announced to launch Ehsaas Programme with its
four focus areas and 155 policy actions to reduce inequality, invest in
people and uplift lagging districts. Based on lessons from China’s
poverty alleviation program, Ehsaas Program is an institutional
framework and the largest social welfare initiative in the history of
Pakistan.
Dr
Sania Nishtar, the head of Poverty Alleviation Coordination Council,
has developed the program after consultation with all stakeholders in
the private and public sectors. While borrowing lessons from China, the
program aims to transform the lives of disadvantaged sections of society
within the next four years – by laying the foundations of the welfare
state.
In
an interview, Dr Nishtar while explaining the reason why the program
was created said that the federal government agencies that were
previously mandated to deliver social security were Benazir Income
Support Program (BISP), Baitul Mal, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund
and many other smaller entities were working independently as they were
attached to different ministries.
She
said that Ehsaas program will not only bring them all together under
one division but would also create a door for ‘one window operation’.
Five
million low-cost housing units for poor, employment opportunities,
social security, health and education, and working conditions are some
of the other projects that are aimed at paving the way to curb the
menace of poverty.
Experts
and political analysts believe that all these projects can’t eliminate
poverty without launching appropriately targeted programs, just like
China did. To better devise policies while using the limited resources
efficiently, they say, the Chinese model to eradicate poverty is crucial
to understand.
A
little research shows that China customized its poverty alleviation
programs separately for the rural and urban poor. Poor individuals with
no sustainable source of income, no capability to work and without any
guardian were taken into account under the program. Later, the program
was spread to facilitate the poor with health and education downsides.
In addition, various jobs were allocated by rural or urban
administrations to the poor so that they could earn their livings by
themselves and spend it to fulfill the basic needs.
In
the same way, it seems Pakistan has learned lessons from the success
story of China to end multidimensional poverty as the Ehsaas program is
based on a similar framework. Ehsaas program has four pillars; the first
is centered around governance and state capture, the second pillar is
the social protection, the third pillar is livelihoods, and the fourth
pillar is the development of human capital.
With
an aim to provide food, clothing, housing, education and medical
relief, Ehsaas is for those who require social protection. To put it
into practice, the Pakistani government allocated R 80 billion for
Ehsaas Program in the federal budget 2019-20, which will be raised to
Rs120 billion in the financial year 2021-22.
To
uplift people from poverty who had been living below the poverty line
since the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese government had
opted for the multi-targeted program instead of going for cash transfer
schemes. Chinese government kept control over the domestic economy and
granted protection to the domestic industry which was prone to
competition.
Though
Pakistan is already following the footsteps of China, I believe,
innovative methods must be adopted to get rid of poverty as China did.
Although BISP and other programs have helped in curbing poverty, the
Pakistani government needs to come up with more concentrated and
targeted policies to eradicate poverty. Multidimensional poverty is a
big challenge and government while incorporating changes as per the
domestic environment should not delay the planned institutional
framework — Ehsaas program.
Personally,
I believe, the federal and provincial government should work
simultaneously and collaborate with each other to get significant
results as it would help to curb multidimensional poverty in Pakistan.
Editor | Yang Haixia
Design | Sun Ziyue
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