tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post5368669153542963753..comments2024-03-26T19:25:43.970-07:00Comments on South Asia Investor Review: Pakistan Ahead of India and China on Happiness IndexRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-57549082770839828342017-03-20T10:45:27.500-07:002017-03-20T10:45:27.500-07:00World Happiness 2017 ranks Pakistan well ahead of ...World Happiness 2017 ranks Pakistan well ahead of the rest of SAARC nations. Nepal's at 99, Bhutan at 97, Bangladesh at 110, Sri Lanka at 120, India at 122 and Afghanistan at 141 among 155 nations surveyed. <br /><br /><br />http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/norway-named-happiest-country-in-the-world-india-among-the-saddest/story-zxfv1HSduc5skZRV8saH1H.html<br /><br /><br />Norway moved from No. 4 to the top spot in the report’s rankings, which combine economic, health and polling data compiled by economists that are averaged over three years from 2014 to 2016. Norway edged past previous champ Denmark, which fell to second. Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top 5.<br /><br />Studying happiness may seem frivolous, but serious academics have long been calling for more testing about people’s emotional well-being, especially in the United States. In 2013, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report recommending that federal statistics and surveys, which normally deal with income, spending, health and housing, include a few extra questions on happiness because it would lead to better policy that affects people’s lives.<br /><br />The entire top ten were wealthier developed nations. Yet money is not the only ingredient in the recipe for happiness, the report said.<br /><br />In fact, among the wealthier countries the differences in happiness levels had a lot to do with “differences in mental health, physical health and personal relationships: the biggest single source of misery is mental illness,” the report said.<br /><br />“Income differences matter more in poorer countries, but even their mental illness is a major source of misery,” it added.<br /><br />Another major country, China, has made major economic strides in recent years. But its people are not happier than 25 years ago, it found.<br /><br />The United States meanwhile slipped to the number 14 spot due to less social support and greater corruption; those very factors play into why Nordic countries fare better on this scale of smiles.<br /><br />“What works in the Nordic countries is a sense of community and understanding in the common good,” said Meik Wiking, chief executive officer of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, who wasn’t part of the global scientific study that came out with the rankings.<br /><br />The rankings are based on gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy with four factors from global surveys. In those surveys, people give scores from 1 to 10 on how much social support they feel they have if something goes wrong, their freedom to make their own life choices, their sense of how corrupt their society is and how generous they are.<br /><br /><br />http://worldhappiness.report/<br /><br /><br />https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdsn-whr2017/HR17_3-20-17.pdfRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-54538561899715511122016-05-31T22:05:24.630-07:002016-05-31T22:05:24.630-07:00There are six love styles: Be, Do, Encourage, Give...There are six love styles: Be, Do, Encourage, Give, Talk and Touch<br /><br />http://www.tfifamilyservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/January-2013-training-insert.pdf<br /><br />The five main ways people can give/receive affection are:<br />Quality Time – where you give each other 'undivided attention’ to talk, listen, eat together or enjoy a shared activity. With a young family you may have to grab small amounts of time together while you can, or you may prefer to schedule uninterrupted time when the kids are asleep.<br />Words of Affirmation – these are kind, affectionate, appreciative statements that recognize what your loved one means to you. Phrases that respect and encourage each other are also important. As is actively listening to what your partner has to say. You could do this verbally, and/or via email, text, letter, Facebook, or through sharing music, poems or phrases that reflect your feelings. Meg Barker expands on this in her blog post about different ways we can communicate.<br />Acts of Service – this sounds very formal but simply means doing kind things for each other. Like taking on tasks a partner may not want to do or sharing household chores. It also involves showing you care - for example through preparing meals, paying the bills, and doing the laundry. This category is often the easiest one to miss as it is already part of our daily routine. Highlighting it is as a means of showing affection – and having that recognized and appreciated by a partner can make a big difference to you both feeling cared for.<br />Gifts – this might be an expensive present or something you have made. The idea here is to show someone you were thinking of them, you recognise what they do for you and you’ve paid attention to their likes and chosen something appropriate for them.<br />Physical Touch – could be shown in the form of hugs and cuddles; sitting close on the sofa or lying together in bed. Other touch people enjoy includes hair brushing, holding hands, massage (a hand, foot or head massage can work if you’re time-poor). This may or may not be sexual. You might find that time for pleasure has disappeared and finding opportunities to kiss, touch and reconnect physically may lead to you feeling more like sexual intimacy, or just enjoy nurturing touch without it leading to sex.<br />It may feel strange to sit back and deliberately choose how you want to have affection shared with you and to ask this of your partner. Talking about this might reveal things you didn’t know about each other and highlight opportunities to create consistent positive connections you’ll both enjoy.<br /><br />http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/9989306/The-five-types-of-affection-which-one-do-you-prefer.htmlRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-71823532621181710502013-03-23T21:59:57.272-07:002013-03-23T21:59:57.272-07:00Here's an interesting Op Ed by Mazur Ejaz in F...Here's an interesting Op Ed by Mazur Ejaz in <a href="http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130322&page=9" rel="nofollow">Friday Times</a>:<br /><br /><i>The condition of an economy is often confused with the financial health of its government. Pakistan's economy is perceived to be in a deep hole because of its near-bankrupt fiscal conditions. Similarly, America's inability to settle on a national budget is taken to be an indicator of the collapse of the US Empire.<br /><br />In some ways, the condition of the economy and the financial health of the government are separate matters. Major stock market indexes at Karachi Stock Exchange and the Wall Street are at their highest level, but both governments are facing serious financial problems. Most of the countries around the world are facing similar dichotomous situations. So how does one solve the riddle of the corporate sector making record profits while governments around the world are in serious financial jeopardy?<br /><br />The phenomenon needs to be analyzed at grass-roots level. A shopkeeper from my village comes to mind. He told me that he sells PTCL internet cards grossing about Rs 9,000 every day. There are several other such shops in the village. That means that just in one village, the total sale of PTCL internet cards is up to 50,000 rupees. This consumer item was not present five years ago, which means hundreds of computers have been bought in the village recently. Furthermore, if such luxury products are making such huge profits for village shops, traders throughout the country must be making much larger profits selling essentials every day. One of the indicators of booming business in our village is that the United Bank branch in the village is doing very well, according to its manager. <br /><br />There are thousands of such villages in the country, and that gives one an idea of the mammoth growth of rural markets. Such an undocumented economy is not even factored in estimating the economic growth of the country. From these supposedly marginal markets, one can extrapolate the profits of the corporate sector in towns and cities.<br /><br />It may be astounding for some that Pakistan's banking sector is considered fourth in profitability in the entire world. Producers of other major industrial and agricultural products are also making huge profits. Cement, fertilizer, automobile, construction and telecommunication industries are doing extremely well. Other than the textile industry, which has been hit by power shortages, there is hardly any manufacturer or importer/exporter of any kind of goods who is not making money. The stock markets look at the profits of these industries and price them accordingly. Therefore the claims of Pakistan's economic growth are not a fairy tale. The evidence is out there in the market.<br /><br />The government is also like a large corporation whose income depends mainly on tax revenue. Most of the goods and services (such as roads, defense, education and health) provided by the government are public goods which are not priced directly. The government has to price its public goods through direct taxes on income and sales, or indirectly. Following a certain brand of capitalism, countries like Pakistan and the US are not collecting enough taxes to cover the cost of public goods. They have failed mainly in collecting direct taxes on income. While Pakistan cannot implement an appropriate tax collection mechanism because of corruption, the US has leaned towards favoring high income groups and ended up in a jam. The net result is the same: the rich are getting richer, appropriating most of the new wealth generated.... </i><br /><br />http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/article.php?issue=20130322&page=9Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-36947933527231064082012-08-23T10:06:11.331-07:002012-08-23T10:06:11.331-07:00Here's an ET report on HWT technology to incre...Here's an <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/424992/fountain-of-youth-technological-progress-boosts-demand-for-mangoes/" rel="nofollow">ET report</a> on HWT technology to increase shelf life and exports of fruits and veggies in Pakistan:<br /><br /><i>The establishment of Karachi’s hot water treatment (HWT) plant – a facility for post-harvest treatment and processing of fruits and vegetables – is a very good example of how the country’s agriculture sector can benefit by investing in technological advancements. It is because of this technology that Pakistan has been able to venture into some of the world’s largest markets for its mango over the past couple of months.<br /><br />In order to expand mango exports, Durrani Associates, one of Pakistan’s largest mango exporters, in partnership with the government, set up the Rs220 million HWT plant, which is officially known as Pakistan Horti Fresh Processing (Pvt) Limited. This investment, according to Durrani Associates’ Director Babar Khan Durrani, can be recovered within five years.<br /><br />Durrani told The Express Tribune that they were already exporting mangoes to Tesco in the United Kingdom and Carrefour in the rest of Europe – two of the world’s largest retail chains – but HWT facility has opened new markets for the exporters. The exporters can use the facility and ship their products via sea now, which will enable them to sell at competitive prices.<br /><br />HWT increases shelf life of mangoes to 35 days, thus they can now be shipped by sea to remote destinations, a major development, which reduces freight charges to a great extent.<br /><br />Take the example of China, Durrani said, where air freight alone costs more than $1.25 per kg of mangoes. The processed mangoes can be shipped by sea, he said, bringing the cost down to $0.20 per kg. As a result, the Pakistani exporter was able to impress Walmart China, which, in a week’s time, will strike a contract for supply of another 100 tons of mangoes.<br />-------------<br />Talking about how this technology has helped expand mango exports, Durrani said fruits and vegetables processed by HWT facility meet requirements of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Quarantine Standards, thus making them globally acceptable.<br /><br />In the past, Pakistan’s mangoes were denied access to several key markets including the US and China because of nine diseases. HWT kills anthicolas, a major disease that results in black spots on mango skin.<br /><br />“The skin of our mango is rough but its taste is very good,” company’s Chairman Abdul Qadir Khan Durrani said. “HWT improves the skin while killing all diseases after treating at 50 degrees for an hour,” he added.<br /><br />He claimed Pakistan has world’s largest HWT plant having capacity to treat 15 tons of mangoes per hour. The second largest plant is in Mexico that treats 4.5 tons of mangoes per hour, he said.<br /><br />Besides the $2,200 per ton market of Europe, the $1,600 per ton market of China could prove to be the largest importer of Pakistan’s mangoes, Durrani said.<br />--------------<br />By contrast, the mango exports are 8% of the production or less than 50% of the export potential, a strong indication that there is still a huge space for more investment on the technology front. “We need more than 10 such plants for meeting mango demand of North American markets,” Director Durrani said.<br /><br />“Our agriculture sector lacks technology. People shy away from using technology.” It will take a while before all farmers adopt new technologies, he said.<br />-------------<br />“About 30% to 40% of our fruits and vegetables are wasted because they are not processed,” Durrani said. “Given the HWT plant can process almost every fruit and vegetable that we produce, we can save our produce from being wasted,” he added.</i><br /><br />http://tribune.com.pk/story/424992/fountain-of-youth-technological-progress-boosts-demand-for-mangoes/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-58480775852280266982012-07-10T18:26:03.914-07:002012-07-10T18:26:03.914-07:00Here's a BR report on PM Raja talking about PP...Here's a <a href="http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/66940-pro-farmers-policies-of-government-helped-inject-rs500-billion-in-rural-economy-pm-.html" rel="nofollow">BR report</a> on PM Raja talking about PPP's pro-farmer policies:<br /><br /><i>Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Tuesday said prudent and farmers-friendly policies of the PPP led government has helped injection of Rs500 billion in the rural economy ultimately benefiting the farming community in the country.<br /><br />"Due to our pro-farming policies and due payments of agriculture produce of the farmers specially in wheat production, Pakistan once an wheat importing country has now become an exporting country and we are self sufficient in wheat production", the Prime Minister said while addressing APP regularization certificate distribution ceremony to distribute letters among the contract and daily wages employees of Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), here at the Prime Minister Secretariat today.</i><br /><br />http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/66940-pro-farmers-policies-of-government-helped-inject-rs500-billion-in-rural-economy-pm-.htmlRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-19378685186148866332012-05-26T08:09:51.072-07:002012-05-26T08:09:51.072-07:00Here's an excerpt of ET story on Pakistan'...Here's an excerpt of <a href="tribune.com.pk/story/384253/milk-production-in-pakistans-milk-production-jk-dairies-is-a-front-runner/" rel="nofollow">ET story</a> on Pakistan's commercial dairy business:<br /><br /><i>Economies of scale were the key to JK Dairies’ strategy, and not just in the number of animals. The company imported some of the finest milk breeds from Australia in order to improve output per animal. And it was smart in terms of the kind of cows it imported too.<br /><br />Many dairy farmers have made the mistake of simply looking up which cows yield the most amount of milk per lactation and import them into their farms in Pakistan, not realising that most of those breeds are not suited to the Pakistani climate.<br /><br />JK Dairies imported the Australian Friesian-Sahiwal, a breed that was created by the Australian state of Queensland in the 1960s by crossing the Sahiwal cow (named after the city in Punjab where it is from) and the Friesian breed to produce a new cross-breed that combines the sturdiness of the Sahiwal with the lactation prowess of the Friesian.<br /><br />The average Sahiwal cow (still common in many parts of the Punjab), produces about 2,270 litres of milk per lactation. The Friesian Sahiwal breed produces over 3,000 litres per lactation, about 32% higher. Since then, the company has been cross-breeding the Friesian and Jersey breeds of cows that are also part of its stock with local breeds to produce better milk-giving animals that are suited to the local environment.<br /><br />“We can compete with the world only by experimenting with the latest available technologies, and that’s what we are doing,” Tareen said.<br /><br />JK Dairies employs a lot of foreign staff, particularly from East Asia, since Tareen feels that local universities do not have enough graduates who are familiar with global best practices in agriculture and livestock. In addition, the company does not use fodder, a common local practise and instead uses multi-cut seeds, which not only can be produced year-round but also help the cows enhance their milk production.<br /><br />The company then markets its milk through various techniques, including retail outlets in Lahore as well as a home delivery service. But the bulk of JK Dairies’ sales go to Nestle Pakistan, the largest food company in the country and the owner of Milkpak, the leading brand of packaged milk.<br />----------<br />...Tareen appears highly bullish on the livestock sector, which constitutes about 11% of Pakistan’s GDP and employs about 17% of the workforce, including most of the poorest people in the country. “The livestock sector of Pakistan can singlehandedly became a game changer for our economy.”<br /><br />Others agree. “If Pakistan were to improve its overall milk yields by just 15%, it would displace New Zealand as the largest exporter of milk in the world,” said Ian Donald, the outgoing CEO of Nestle Pakistan.</i><br /><br />tribune.com.pk/story/384253/milk-production-in-pakistans-milk-production-jk-dairies-is-a-front-runner/Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278279504304651957.post-48126574032586218162011-07-08T19:08:59.411-07:002011-07-08T19:08:59.411-07:00Here's an OXFAM report about land for landless...Here's an <a href="http://www.oxfamblogs.org/southasia/?p=1088" rel="nofollow">OXFAM report</a> about land for landless peasant women in Pakistan:<br /><br /><i>Oxfam Media Officer, Caroline Gluck, is currently travelling in Sindh district in Pakistan. She sends us this blog from there:<br /><br />Mother of five, Sodhi Solangi, can’t stop smiling as she shows me her new eight acre plot of land. Cotton crops are growing and, a little further away, building work is almost finished on a large new house overlooking the fields where her family will soon settle.<br /><br />Just a few years ago, 42 year old Sodhi, who lives in Ramzan Village, Umerkot district, in Sindh, Pakistan, was landless. She and her husband used to work on others’ lands, earning a share of the crops as payment. Daily life was a struggle.<br /><br />“We often had problems”, Sodhi recalled. “Sometimes we had money, sometimes not. It was very hard for us. We’d spend all our days working on someone else’s farm and our children would be at home.<br /><br />“We wore torn clothes. But now things are very different. When you like something, you can go out and buy it. Before, we would have to ask the landlord to give us money if we wanted anything, but now we have money in our hands and we can buy things whenever we want.”<br /><br />“Now we have our own land and are working on our own land. It feels so good when we work there. When we used to work for others, we would have to drag ourselves there.”<br /><br />Her family’s luck changed when Sodhi was awarded eight acres of land, under a programme run by Sindh’s provincial government, which in 2008 began redistributing swathes of state-held land to landless women peasants. The landmark scheme was an attempt to lift more people out of poverty in the province, where more than two-thirds of the population work the land, but where bonded labour is still widely practiced and most land is still held by wealthy and political influential elites.<br /><br />Sohdi and her family grew wheat and cotton on their new land. And they managed to earn enough profit to buy another eight acres. <br /><br />“We were so happy when we go our land. Now, things are so different”, said Sodhi. “Whenever we want to eat anything, we can just buy it. Before, we used to eat dal and potatoes. Now we can buy all sorts of things – mangos, even chicken.”<br /><br />“Everyday, we have a lot of food. It’s like a festival of food for us every time!” she said, laughing.<br /><br />Meat is an unaffordable luxury for most poor farming families – and one telling sign of just how much Sodhi’s life has turned around.<br /><br />Her neighbours and relatives jokingly call her “lady landowner” and many told me they planned to apply for land during the next phase of the redistribution scheme.<br /><br />But Sodhi is one of the lucky ones. Her land, though parched and lacking proper irrigation, is still cultivable; and, unlike many women, Sodhi didn’t face legal claims disputing her right to the land from wealthy landowners or others living nearby.<br />-----<br />“The landlord sent officials to threaten the women here saying : ‘We will destroy your homes and take your tractors. ‘ He also threatened to send the police to our home”, said Shareefa Gulfazar, who is in her fifties, and was awarded 4.5 acres of land.<br /><br />Her daughter, Dadli Kehar, who was awarded 3 acres of land, fears they are being tricked out of what is rightfully theirs. With the help of Oxfam’s partner Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI), both women plan to fight through the courts for what they believe is their right to the land.<br />----<br />Despite the threats and the likelihood of a lengthy legal battle, Shareefa and Dadli intend to fight for their land. They know that having their own land can empower them as well as help to feed their families and ensure they have a better future.</i><br /><br />http://www.oxfamblogs.org/southasia/?p=1088Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com