February 13, 2017
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former Provincial Minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Monday said inefficient transport system continue to inflict loss of 4 to 6 percent to the GDP.
Improving transport infrastructure can help boost GDP by 4 to 6 percent which will improve economy therefore government should immediately frame and announce national transport policy, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that all the sub-sectors of the transport including roads, railways, ports, and aviation needs immediate attention but railways should be given preference to speed up transportation and reduce losses.
He said that improving transport infrastructure requires heavy investment therefore government should invite local and foreign investors to this sector.
Railways is one of the most important department but its role has been gradually reduced pushing 95 percent of the population to use road transport for travelling while around 95 percent of the goods are also transported through roads increasing their cost.
An efficient railway will not only provide affordable travelling to masses but also reduce cost of transporting edibles and other merchandise resulting in reduced prices and improved competitive edge for exporters in the international market.
The Former Minister said that the performance of Railways has improved during the era of Khawaja Saad Rafique, revenue has been doubled in the last three years and a lot of positive steps have been taken but the current budget is insufficient to revolutionise the department.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that the condition of seaports and airports should be noticed as there is no internationally recognised airline or airport in the country while seaports continue to add to the cost of doing business.
The Business Leader said that government should immediately frame transport policy with focus on improvement of railway and announce it.
