ADB suggests ways to break boom-and-bust cycle

At an SDPI conference, ADB Pakistan Country Director Dr Emma Xiaoqin Fan urged Pakistan to sustain structural reforms, encourage private investment and diversify exports to reduce recurring economic booms and crises, Business Recorder reported. She said macroeconomic stability needs to be supported by predictable policies, stronger institutions and a business-friendly regulatory environment; repeated changes in officials and policy direction can weaken implementation.

Fan cited PIA’s privatisation as one reform example, while cautioning that lasting change requires action across sectors. FCDO Development Director Sam Waldock said export growth is central to avoiding repeated balance-of-payments pressure, and outlined priorities including trade facilitation, regulatory improvements and market-relevant skills. He also noted that IT exports rose 21 percent last year to Rs1.27 trillion, although industry consultations found only one in 10 IT graduates employable. UN representative Pernille Ironside said reforms should be judged by their effects on education, healthcare and employment.