WASHINGTON: Syed Amjad Ali, Chairman, Pakistan’s Investments Promotion Bureau, suggested here yesterday (Oct 3) that the vast expenditures of billions of dollars earmarked by the USA and USSR for the moon expedition should instead be diverted for removing poverty and squalor from the world.

Addressing the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund, he said that since now there was not going to be any competition in trying to reach the moon but collaboration, it could not be appreciated why such colossal sums should be spent to gratify man’s age-old wish of reaching the moon. “After all,” Mr Amjad added, “it is an eerie, cold, desolate and dead planet.”

“Why not utilise the same money on the living?” he asked. By giving millions living in poverty the benefits of our age, make them happy, educated and healthy.

Mr Amjad Ali was speaking on the paucity of international monetary resources available to developing countries for their development programmes. — Agencies