Can Public- Private Partnership Speed the Process of Development In Pakistan?

syeda mahnoor ali (6th- GPP)

Pakistan is a developing country with lack of resources but it is no wonder that even the available resources are majorly managed and consumed by the privileged and fortunate members of society. Firstly, we need to understand the concept of public, public rights, public welfare and public sector. Democracy gives power to the public as it has the power to make or break a government. According to democracy, the public sector and the workers of public sector and public’s servants.  After understanding the power that democracy gives to the general public, let’s move towards the public welfare and public sector. Every state is recognized by the perks it gives to its citizens in the name of public welfare. Public welfare can be defined as the public goods that are free of cost and benefit maximum of citizens.

Public sector is the portion of the economy composed of all levels of government and government-controlled enterprises. It does not include private companies, voluntary organizations, and households. Public sector consists of institutes that are managed by government and are equal for all citizens. However, in Pakistan the public sector is very weak as it has no accountability, transparency, rule or law and check and balance on the different management tiers of certain organizations. The public institutes unfortunately, are not efficient and effective as they are not managed and administered properly by the government. Many influential people in the government work for their personal gains or make sure that others are working for their personal gains by exploiting these public institutes. Whereas it cannot be concluded that all governmental institutions are inefficient as we can look at the examples of motorway police and national highway, Benazir income support program and PIMS. All these institutes are government based but they have better management and check and balance that makes them a success story. On the other hand, example can be taken of public educational institutes in Pakistan that do not provide the same level of quality education to students that private institutes do. Public educational institutes such as Islamabad model college for girls/boys does not have proper infrastructure such as tables, chairs and washrooms, the teachers are not administered properly if they attend the classes or not.  

On the contrary, private institutions are private entities managed by different groups in order to facilitate the public but while making sure that profit is earned. Due to the profit making scheme, private sector is more efficient, effective and accountable. Every action of an employee gets recorded. It can also be called easy hiring, easy firing. Private sector institutes make sure that the customer is satisfied by all means so that the profit is not effected. Which is why they have more accountable, transparent and well organized structures. Private sector is more capable than public sector in Pakistan but it is definitely not free of cost. The private institutes take a lot of money from their customers but provide facilities according to the cost. It needs to be noted that if the private organizations are not effective and efficient, they won’t be able to stay open. Examples can of certain restaurant that were closed down to their lack of profit in covid-19. Some successful private sector organizations are Edhi Foundation, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Chhipa Welfare Association, Aurat Foundation and Shahid Afridi Foundation. Many non-governmental organizations (NGO) are working for the welfare of people but mostly with international donors. Education system of private sector of Pakistan is hundred times better than the public sector. Out of the 317,323 schools in the country, 38% are private. From 1990 to 2016, the number of low-cost private schools in Punjab alone increased dramatically from 32,000 to 66,000. Interestingly, the majority of new private schools opened up in rural areas. The private sector educational institutes keep a strict check and balance on teachers and other working staff if they are following the guidelines, timing and over all structure of the organization. The students are considered important beings that develops confidence and self-respect ion them. The teachers are needed to be fully educated on the subject that they are teaching.

Public-private partnerships can improve the quality and equity of organizations of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has limited public sector funding available to cater to the country’s overall public infrastructure requirements and related services. To bridge this gap, the Government made a policy decision to tap private sector investments and expertise. Following this policy decision of the Federal Government in 2006, Infrastructure Project Development Facility (IPDF). With the promulgation of the Public Private Partnership Authority Act (No. VII), 2017, IPDF was converted into a Public Private Partnership Authority (the, “P3A”). IPDF’s assets, employees and liabilities were transferred to the newly established P3A with an improved and enhanced regulatory mandate as given in the Public Private Partnership Authority Act, 2017 (the, “P3A Act”). The provisions of the P3A Act and functions of P3A are limited and extended to Federal Government line ministries and their infrastructure projects.

The government alone cannot accomplish the noble task of providing quality education to all eligible students. A non-conducive environment for learning at schools further reduces both students’ and parents’ motivational levels. Classrooms tend to be overcrowded, with a low teacher-student ratio, hampering effective in-class learning. Outdated pedagogical practices, inadequate subject-specialists, non-merit-based teacher appointments, high turnover rates, and multi-grade teaching exacerbate the situation. Since teachers are the most important component of an education system, providing adequate numbers of effective and qualified teachers is imperative to improving student learning levels and reducing dropout rates. Provincial authorities need to regularly hire new teachers, with a focus on math and science subject specialists. The government alone cannot accomplish the noble task of providing quality education to all eligible students. The private sector would play a monumental role in improving access to schools and the quality of education. Work needs to be done toward curriculum and assessment reform, teacher management, and the production, use, and analysis of quality data at the provincial departments of school education. More resources should be devoted to the training of staff responsible for curriculum and textbook development. Provincial authorities must strive to reduce political interference and increase transparency at the district and sub district levels of the education management system. Pakistan has the opportunity to dramatically improve its education system. The right policies need to put in place for this generation of students to benefit.

References:

https://www.pppa.gov.pk/overv.php

https://blogs.adb.org/blog/in-pakistan-private-sector-partnerships-are-key-to-improving-education