Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday briefed Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over the provincial efforts to tackle coronavirus, ARY NEWS reported.
During a telephonic conversation, the chief minister briefed that the province was trying its best to improve testing capacity while efforts were also underway to provide relief to the public affected from coronavirus lockdown.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto while lauding Murad Ali Shah said that the Sindh government has undertaken exemplary measures to prevent outbreak of the virus.
“The public confidence on the state has boosted owing to the provincial measures,” he said adding that currently the province leads in available health infrastructure as compared to other parts of the country.
“You have given a face to a people’s government,” Bilawal said to Shah.
He said that the foremost priority of the government should be to save public lives. We all have to unite to fight this pandemic, Bilawal said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan Saturday reached 4,788, according to the National Command and Operation Centre’s latest statistics.
As many as 190 new cases of the COVID-19 were reported across the country during last 24 hours. So far 762 patients have recovered from the deadly virus, whereas the death toll has surged to 71.
Highest 25 deaths were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 in Sindh, 19 in Punjab, three in GB and one was reported in Islamabad and Balochistan.
According to the breakup of the cases province-wise Punjab tops the list with 2,336 cases, while Sindh has recorded 1,214 coronavirus cases so far.
656 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 220 in Balochistan, 113 in Islamabad, 215 in Gilgit Baltistan and 34 cases were reported in Azad Kashmir.
Overall 48 per cent of the cases are said to be of local transmission in the country while rest are of the nationals coming from abroad.
The health authorities have overall conducted 57,836 tests including 2,457 tests during the last 24 hours.
2 comments:
You are missing “The Corona Bonanza”
Bonanza 1
There will a temporary shock to the government fiscal revenues., as Imports will crash,CIF rates of imports will also crash,domestic production has stopped (and tax on MRP, less deductions is paid at the time of production, and not sale),domestic MRP rates will also crash.That is Y the state has still, not passed the benefits of lower crude and palm rates, to the Pakistani people
The Bonus is in non-salary expenditures of the state,which are on ARC (Annual Rate Contracts) or other RC.With crash in commodities and surplus capacities – Pakistan can easily re-negotiate its procurements. Large nations like Hindoosthan,will face disaster,as they will face supply risks,per se( due to the sheer scale of their procurements and certain logistics problems which will follow) .W.r.t the purchases by the Pakistani state,the state can declare “Force Majeure”,,especially on International contracts.
There is no immorality in this,as the supply and value chain of the suppliers to the state – will,in any case,declare Force Majeure – and which, in turn, will ensure that the suupliers will default on the government contracts.The supliers will make supplies at ARCs,only to the extent of the existing stocks,as at March 15th,2020.They cannot be allowed to supply,from new purchases at the old ARC rates.
Global suppliers will be glad to dump their stocks – in depots or with consignment agents, in Pakistan – for sale to the Pakistani State.
This could easily reduce the costs by 30-50%,on a one time and recurring basis.Once this Cost is saved,in phases,the benefit of oil price crash on fuels and edible oils and also power tarriffs and fertilisers,can be passed on to the public.That will be pure jannat.
Bonanza 2
The Only Solution to the supply chain risk in USA/EU (w.r.t their supply chains in the PRC) lies in massive robotics and AI,in the US and EI – which will make humans obsolete in manufacturing ,and also,,in part,in IT.The question is,what to do with the humans.That is Y the virus is sought – Simple ! It is best way to cull humans ,id.est., cost effective, no side effects, localised,no short term or long term effects ,no damage to assets and hard and soft infra,and no permanence of poison – like in radiation. It will make conventional war.
For Pakistan – the crash in Raw Materials and cost of capital, availability of capital and crash in logistics costs will make manufacturing and exports viable.That makes existing unviable manufacturing units viable and provides incermental jobs and arrests the increase in NPAs.No fresh capacities should be launched,solely based on the current cost structure.Crash in costs plus the low labour costs in Pakistan and stable PKR – is the Alt-AI and Robotics,for Pakistan.
The Pakistani people should thank its prior leaders,that they made manufacturing unviable in Pakistan,and made it a trading nation. Had the state set up or sponsored or promoted manufacturing units – they would have become unviable, banks would be busted and there would have been mass skilled unemployment. Just look at Hindoosthan. dindooohindoo
This is the time for setting up manufacturing units – SME and others.
The military,food,telecom,technology and health securirty of the USA and EU, is in the hands of the PRC.These nations will be FORCED to move at least 10-20% of their supply chain,to other nations.They have no choice.
Bonanza 3
The SBP and the treasury of the private sector,should suck in the Corona rate cuts and packages in EU/Nippon/North East Asia and the USA – and restructure the entire FX loan portfolio,w.r.t tenor,spreads,risk premiums,swaps and hedges. One simple way,is by trade finance,which is based on underlying trade and other activities, with those nations.
The Corona Bonanza - Part 2
Bonanza 4
After doing 3 and 4 above,the state should invite bids to build and repair infrastructure on BOOT basis.The Cost of infra should reduce by at least 30%,supplemented with long term soft loans and grants.
With viable manufacturing and exports,lower cost of debt – an already cheaper infra cost – will make infra financing and infra operations,all the more viable
Bonanza 5
To lock in the gains to the people and industry,the SBP and the State should lock in to NYMEX crude and futures,at current rates (on CBOT or with large funds etc.) – for as long as possible,with reasonable contangos or maximum backwardation.A large nation cannot do this – as it will move the premiums,in the derivatives market.
The State should thereafter, lock in the oil and gas rates – and then affix power and fertiliser tarriffs, for the same tenor – with a priority for industrial zones – after meeting the consumer needs.Edible oil contracts can also be struck with large funds,in the USA/EU (Although they will not be enforceable, if workers stop working at plantations)..
This is also the time for the state to declare Force Majeuer on the ulra high cost RPP/IPPs.With reduced power demand,the entire power demand of Pakistan, can be met from fuel and coal plants,at less than half of the previous marginal cost. For several people, this power supply can be free of cost,as the Marginal cost of power on current fuel costs,should be around 1-2 Rupees (which is not worth collecting from marginal users).dindooohindoo
It is time to celebrate !
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