Sindh government to provide land, infrastructure facilities for Research Centre

Karachi: Sindh government has pledged to provide land and infrastructure facilities on various proposals by Centre for Research in Sindh (CRIS) on restructuring of business education in Sindh, based on public-private partnership.

The proposals were made during a pre-budget policy seminar organised recently by the Centre on Sindh Annual Development Plan (ADP) and Budget 2009-10 at the Institute of Business Management (IBM) here. The event provided a forum for pre-budget exchange of views on Sindhs fiscal and development strategy between/among policy makers, business people, corporate sector, academia and media.

The keynote address was delivered by President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan and Chairman of Thar Coal Authority Asad Ali Shah. Presentations were made on Expectations from Sindh Budget 2009-10 by industrialists, businessmen and bankers; Sindhs Annual Development Program 2009-10 by Planning and Development Department and Budget of Government of Sindh 2009-10' by the Finance Department of Sindh government.

Shah said increase in operational scope and authority must be accompanied by an increase in resources, which require a revision of the NFC Award formula. Such revision should take account of the fact that Sindh is the largest contributor of federal tax revenues. he endorsed the proposals prepared by the CRIS about restructuring business education in the province.

He requested the government to incorporate these proposals in Sindhs Annual Development Plan for 2009-10. CRIS presented proposals for legislation for information disclosure and cost sharing among business, government and the community as regard social and environmental effects of business restructuring. It also proposed creation of Sindh Governing Board for Business Education (SGBBE) to promote partnership between business schools, firms and banks.

The Council would monitor the work of the business schools and accredit them. The Centre also proposed establishment of links between Karachi based business schools and departments of business and commerce in government colleges throughout the provinces. The Karachi based business schools would support training and business reengineering program in other cities of the province.

In response to the CRISs proposals on restructuring business education in Sindh, there was a positive response from the Sindh government, suggesting that private institutions would be encouraged to plan and organise business education in major cities of Sindh and that the government would provide land and infrastructure facilities in this regard.

Representatives of the Sindh government also invited proposals not only from the seminar participants but also from the general public to make the Sindh Annual Development Plan 2009-10 a truly representative one and stressed upon the practical need for private-public partnership in this regard.

Earlier a Higher Education Commission-supported conference on Sindh Progress and Prospects was organised by IBM in Karachi in collaboration with the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, which was attended by Nisar Khuhro, Speaker, Sindh Assembly, and Slndh Education Minister Mazhar-ul-Haq. It assessed the progress made during the past decade in socio-economic sectors; investment, HRD, IT strategies, health, media and development of Sindhi language.

A development strategy was articulated for realising Sindhs inherent potential. The conference provided a sound research and reference base for the Centre for Research in Sindh to contribute to enhancing competitiveness and productivity in Sindh. Earlier, IBM Executive Director Talib Karim delivered the welcome speech.