Sindh finances

The Sindh budget for 2004-05 presented to the provincial assembly on Wednesday has nothing new to offer. With the problems - financial stringency, joblessness, dismal law and order - escalating rapidly, the finance minister was faced with a serious challenge of spreading out his thin resources to meet the growing demands of different sectors.

The major problem which has plagued fiscal management in all provinces in Pakistan is that of inelasticity of revenues and of over-dependence on the centre for funds.

This was evident in abundance in Sindh. Of the total revenue receipts of Rs100.6 billion, Rs84 billion will be provided by Islamabad as federal tax assignment and grants from the federal government.

Although the FTA is the right of the provinces, the deadlock over a new NFC award and the centre's decision to ignore Sindh's contention on the issue show the limited choice available to a province.

Another important aspect of the budget is that the revised budget for 2003-04 shows a shortfall under every head of the revenue receipts. One would thus have to be a diehard optimist to believe that the targets will be met in the coming year.

Of the Rs122.9 billion revenue budget, Rs11.4 billion has been earmarked for law and order. This has been on the rise. It was Rs10.3 billion in the outgoing year. It hardly needs to be pointed out that simply pumping more money into this sector will not ease the situation that grips Sindh.

The spending pattern of the government reveals its priorities. While debt servicing takes up the biggest chunk of the budget, administration is also a big consumer - Rs15 billion.

Although the finance minister admitted the problems of the people, his concern is not reflected in the budgetary provisions. Health and education get a skimpy amount - Rs2.9 billion and Rs2.6 billion, respectively.

This is less than what it was two years ago and is in line with the government's policy of disengaging from the social sector. As for the concern for unemployment and poverty alleviation, it is not reflected in the sectors which should have been given a boost to create jobs and upgrade the skills of the people.

For instance, community services, public works, etc., do not get a substantial rise in allocations, while others have actually had their spending chopped. But the allocation for the religious affairs department has been raised from Rs23.9 million to Rs30.7 million - a 300 per cent increase in three years.

The Rs18 billion public sector development programme registers an increase of nearly 20 per cent over the 2003-04 programme. Transport and communication top the list with education a close second.

What is really disturbing is the government's failure to utilize the funds allocated under various heads as the revised estimates for the outgoing year show. Science and technology used only Rs26.5 million out of an allocation of Rs127.5 million.

Similarly, statistical and economic research utilized only Rs8.7 million of the Rs39.9 million earmarked for it. The non-utilization of funds has serious implications. It distorts the government's planning while indicating its lack of interest in particular sectors.

Congressional indictment

What is now left of the Bush administration's case against Saddam Hussein? The 10-member bipartisan Congressional commission set up to investigate the 9/11 attacks has found no credible evidence to link the Saddam government with Al Qaeda.

It says in its report released on Wednesday that Al Qaeda did try twice to seek Baghdad's help, but the latter showed no interest in the former's plans. Thus, the second plank of the two reasons put forward by Mr Bush for his invasion of Iraq has been knocked out from under his feet.

The first, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, has already been thoroughly discredited, with not a single weapon found. The Congressional panel has also by implication confirmed what most people around the world have long believed: that the 9/11 attacks provided a pretext to the Bush people to implement their already well formulated plan to dislodge Saddam Hussein and establish American control over Iraqi oilfields.

Richard A. Clarke, Mr Bush's former anti-terrorism czar who ran the White House situation room on 9/11, says in his just published book Against All Enemies that within hours of the attacks he was asked by Mr Bush to find an Al Qaeda link with Saddam Hussein.

He said he was appalled at the way in which, in the midst of such a gigantic tragedy, the president and his aides, including the vice-president and defence secretary, appeared more concerned with Iraq.

It is incredible that a government should set out, in violation of international law and morality, to invade, occupy and destroy a country, kill its people and have its own soldiers killed in the process on the back of a pack of lies and show not the slightest sign of remorse.

Despite all the evidence now piled up against the Bush administration, not a single head has rolled so far, and the president himself remains unfazed as he seeks a fresh term in office.

More, the basis of the entire "war on terror" becomes even more questionable after the Congressional panel's report. From attacking Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, the military campaign was extended to Iraq. Terrorism has increased, not decreased, since then and sucked into its vortex many other countries.

The report should make everyone now singed by the US mission consider its own place in the American scheme of things. We in Pakistan are paying a heavy political and social price for our foolish and stubborn backing of the Taliban (also referred to in the report) in terms of the spread of militancy and extremism in the country. Our belated 'U-turn' has only deepened our domestic political crisis.

Killing fields

Another dreadful accident near Islamabad has killed 40 people and injured many. The ill-fated bus carrying villagers to Rawalpindi early Wednesday morning plunged into the Soan river after being hit by a trawler whose driver had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel.

Both the vehicles were speeding, which made them lose control while driving over a bridge built at a height of 70 feet above the river. On June 7, a similar tragedy involving a truck resulted in the death of 38 people near Abbotabad. Reckless driving claims nearly 7,000 lives every year.

Authorities find it difficult to curb the practice because an average driver is not used to observing the speed limit or safe driving rules. The problem is compounded by drivers plying commercial vehicles that are not always roadworthy.

Besides, many transport companies either force or allow their drivers to work long hours which has a debilitating affect on the drivers' state of mental alertness. Many become addicted to drugs or alcohol to keep them going.

Laws and their enforcement alone cannot ease the problems leading to bad driving because many of these are socially rooted and need to be tackled as such. It is in the interest of the transporters to ensure that their drivers are not overworked and their vehicles are well maintained, because an accident has both human and financial costs - sometimes as high as those claimed by the latest tragedy.

The government can help by launching media campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of speeding and reckless driving. Unless such a programme is evolved and implemented, our roads will remain the killing fields that they have become.