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The future of Pakistan's infrastructure development is fast emerging at the centre of worries over the country's economic outlook as its new government is forced to cut back significantly on expenditure in order to reduce the fast growing budget deficit.
The new budget, which is likely to be announced in ten days, aims to focus primarily on managing otherwise fast shrinking resources. This would follow a difficult year for Pakistan, during which the economy has slowed down while the budget deficit has risen significantly.
At the same time, the need for a continuous development of infrastructure across Pakistan can not be easily ignored.
It depends largely upon the government's success in being able to push the development of physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railway tracks, facilities for airlines through the expansion of existing locations at airports, and the expansion of ports and shipping related facilities.
Other vital aspects of infrastructure relate to the development of housing facilities for people in need, and the promotion of commercial centres across the country.
The need for such vital bits of infrastructure comes just a few years after Pakistan went through a period of high economic growth, which in itself prompted the need for additional infrastructure facilities.
The roads are now full with more cars being driven around, while there are more Pakistanis travelling by air. The volumes of imports to the country have also grown rapidly just as the demand from industry rose sharply.
Such a challenging economic environment needs not just resources but also some very innovative ideas for the future. For instance, in the past, time and again the idea of forcing the private sector to become more responsible by way of investing in infrastructure, has been a favourite theme for the government.
The example of the private sector coming together to build an airport in the city of Sialkot in central Pakistan, has often been cited as a case worth emulating.
Other successful models for infrastructure developments have considered the example of the port facility at the town of Gwadar in south-western Pakistan.
Gwadar used to be just a fishing port in the province of Balochistan till not too long ago. But making use of a concessional loan given by China, Pakistan successfully oversaw the transformation of Gwadar into a world class facility.
For China, helping with the development of a deep sea port close to the Middle East, may present a long term interest.
Pakistan should similarly consider other locations where it can invite its foreign allies to invest in a manner that is fruitful both for the foreign partner as well as Pakistan. However, the country should embrace a number of variables to make such a transaction favourable to foreign investors.
On one hand, it is vital for the government to establish a regime where foreign investors instantly see considerable returns attached to their exposure to Pakistan. It is just not possible to have even some of Pakistan's closest allies to enter into long term commitments unless there is the promise of smooth facilitation of their projects and attractive returns.
Pakistan should also work towards conserving its existing infrastructure in a considerable way. For instance, allowing a further and substantial growth of automobiles to be driven on the country's roads would tantamount to a deep rooted neglect of considerations attached to protection of infrastructure.
An aggressive growth of public transport may be one important way of reducing the burden of transport on the roads.
The writer is a journalist basedin Pakistan.
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