KARACHI, Nov 19: The Planning Commission has embarked on a more proactive role in an otherwise extremely dismal economic environment and is taking a leadership role in mobilising the best available brains of the country in task forces, committees and panels to draw up roadmaps, explore solutions and find ways to overcome existing socio-economic and environmental problems.

On Tuesday, a panel of more than a dozen top economists led by Dr Hafiz Pasha, a senior teacher of Development Economics in Pakistan, made a presentation of an interim report on a proposed roadmap for stabilisation of economy in next two years. While suggesting solution for macro-economic stability, the panel report proposes minimum injury to the disadvantaged sections of the population.

This panel, the sources in the government say, will now take up a medium- term stabilisation and growth plan from 2011-12 to 2013-14 and is expected to give a follow-up roadmap after some macro-economic stability is achieved by 2010-11. The same panel will also prepare a document for next five years.

In October 2008, the commission constituted a 17-member task force on pharmaceutical sector headed by Dr Kamran Mirza. The task force has been formed when the domestic pharmaceutical industry complains of being hard pressed and quite a few foreign companies have either merged or rolled up their business in Pakistan.

The 11-point terms of reference aims at making Pakistan’s local pharmaceutical industry strong to play a global role and to provide good quality, effective medicines at affordable prices. The task force is reviewing the existing registration and pricing policy of the federal health ministry.

Early this month, the commission announced a task force on social sector jointly headed by Javed Jabbar, a former federal minister and Shoaib Sultan of National Rural Support Programme (NRSP). The task force comprises 24 members, most of them represent various NGOs and a few bureaucrats.

Only last week on Friday, the commission formed a 19-member task force on development of the private sector that is jointly led by Shahid Javed Burki of World Bank and Abdul Razzak Dawood, a federal commerce minister in Musharraf’s cabinet.

Then there is a 17-member sub-committee on poverty reduction, social protection and women inclusion headed by Shoaib Sultan and has many social activists, economists and private social organisations. The committee is assigned to carry out analysis of the efforts made so far in the country for poverty reduction. It has been asked to draw up a five-year plan from 2009 to 2013.

A task force on food security headed by former finance and foreign minister Sartaj Aziz is said to have already held a few meetings and reviewed the food production potential, rising food demand and other aspects.

Well-placed sources said that the planning commission has concluded memorandum of understanding with the Indian and Chinese planning commissions to exchange information and explore possibility how best the planners of these countries can cooperate with each other in tackling the problems arising out from the present global crisis.

Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Salman Farouqi was in India sometimes in August last and is said to have offered to consider investment problems from Indian investors on case-to-case basis. Indians are said to have shown interest in transport and automobile sectors, particularly in providing CNG busses.

“We will not make Pakistan a dumping ground of imported automobiles,’’ a well-placed source in the commission remarked. He said the government had asked the Indian companies to send 10 CNG busses of each company but with a comprehensive business plan that should envisage assembling of automobiles in Pakistan with a deletion schedule. At least one Indian company – Tata - is said to have sent its executives, while three other companies also showed some interest.

Officials said that a delegation of four senior planners of the Indian planning commission is expected to arrive in Pakistan sometimes late December or early January. The deputy chairman of Indian Planning Commission Dr Mantek Singh is also expected to visit Pakistan in January.

Mr Salman Farouqi has already visited China and is likely to visit again in January to discuss expansion of collaboration of planning commissions of the two countries.