Gut reaction by Lubna Jerar Naqvi

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Friendly budget

Thursday, June 03, 2010
Lubna Jerar Naqvi

With the budget hovering, there are reports that the education-sector allocation will be slashed down. According to reports, the amount allocated to the education sector in the 2010-11 budget will be slashed by one billion 70 million rupees, leaving five billion 20 million rupees. Higher education will face a cut of two billion 70 million rupees. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are reports that school fees may see a spike by 15 per cent during the next academic year.

This is strange since only last September, while addressing a seminar on International Literacy Day, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that his government aimed to achieve 85 per cent literacy in Pakistan by 2015. He declared 2010 as the year of literacy. He had also said then that the government had allocated over Rs31 billion in the budget for the education sector. He claimed that the education allocations would be raised to four per cent of the GDP from the current level of 2.4 per cent.

But in April this year the price of paper products was increased by 15-20 per cent because of the imposition of taxes and expensive imports of paper and cardboard. According to the All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association, the prices of books and copies increased by 25 per cent.

This means less budget allocation plus high prices of school stationery plus high school fees resulting in a rise in the illiteracy rate as well as school dropouts in addition to a slump in the female literacy rate.

Everyone knows that the budget will hardly bring any relief to the public. Instead it will increase the problems of the majority. Maybe when the government talks about public relief, it is actually referring to those sectors which have ‘public’ in their name, like the ‘public servants’ who have nothing to do with the public. These people will be getting a 25 per cent increment in their salaries in this budget.

Thankfully, the people of Pakistan have long ceased to be gullible. They are aware that the tagline ‘public-friendly budget’ means just the opposite. There is a large number of people out there who have had no financial or economic education, but can predict the budget almost to the letter. There will be no reduction in the prices of commodities like petrol, electricity and of course items of every-day use. Sectors directly affecting the public – health and education to name just two – will not be given any boost that will result in further frustration for the people. But then, who cares?

In this scenario, the prime minister’s target of achieving 85 per cent literacy by 2015 might just remain elusive. In a country where a large number of people are unable to meet their vital needs like food, health and clothing, many people will consider education a luxury for their children, especially girls. It shouldn’t be surprising if next year will see an alarming increase in the rate of school dropouts.

Footnote: experts predict that the next fiscal year will bring more problems for the public not just in the health and education sectors. There will be a further scarcity of clean drinking water. The electricity crisis will further be worsened. I guess the only good news in all this is that the water-tanker mafia and sellers of UPS, generators, candles etc. will see an improvement in their sales during the new fiscal year. And of course, there will be an increase in the rate of poverty-related suicides.

The writer works for Geo TV.