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| India-Pakistan |
| Chief economist out of favour for ‘poor math’ |
| 2006-06-18 |
| ISLAMABAD: The country’s chief economist has reportedly been removed from his post after he differed with the government on poverty reduction and GDP growth rate figures. However, the government has outrightly denied any such development. Official sources told The News that Pervaiz Tahir, chief economist in the Planning Commission, was removed and posted as managing director of the National Energy Conservation Centre (ENERCON) on May 30, after he reportedly told the deputy chairman Planning Commission that he disagreed with the poverty reduction figures. Secretary Planning Division Akram Malik, however, when approached said: “This is absolutely untrue”. He said the poverty figures of 10 per cent reduction during the period 2001-05 had been calculated by the UNDP, World Bank and Asian Development Bank experts following the internationally recognised methodology. He said although Pervaiz Tahir was the country’s chief economist, he was not an expert on calculating the poverty figures. About the GDP growth rate figures, Malik said the chief economist was not in the country when the government calculated and finalised the GDP growth rate figures of 6.6 per cent. When contacted Pervaiz Tahir said he would not comment on the reasons for his removal. However, when asked if he had not agreed on the official figures on poverty reduction and GDP growth rate, he said: “I will only say that my views on these matters are known to all in the Planning Commission.” Sources in the Planning Commission said a committee headed by the secretary P&D and comprising the chief economist and representatives of donors as members worked on the poverty reduction figures. However, the chief economist did not attend the committee meetings and had reportedly conveyed to the deputy chairman that the poverty reduction figures being finalised were simply “impossible”. According to a source, Pervaiz Tahir was a frustrated soul and he also did not attend the meeting of the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) in the third week of May reportedly because the committee meeting agenda did not include the Economy Paper, which was otherwise considered mandatory. It is said that on the basis of the Economy Paper, the APCC finalises basic economic parameters and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and then recommend the same to the National Economic Council (NEC). The APCC, it is said, was also not provided the Statistics Division’s statistics about the GDP growth rate. The chief economist had also been missing from the NEC meeting held a few days before the presentation of the budget. According to a source, the chief economist, out of his frustration, had left the country for a World Bank meeting abroad days before the NEC meeting. The source said that Pervaiz Tahir’s disagreement with the Planning Commission boss was the consequence of his transfer, while a senior P&D official, on condition of anonymity, said the chief economist was transferred for going on a foreign tour when the budget was being finalised. A chief economist, it is agreed, is never transferred. Either he retires or resigns, a source said. |
| Posted by:john |
| #1 The Pak PM is cooking the books, making up GDP growth figures.. (desperate need of pakistanis to be "equal" to India) looks like this guy got fed up of the charade... |
| Posted by: john 2006-06-18 20:04 |