News: CSF to help improve fish quality for export
Newspaper: Business Recorder
Date of Publication: Friday, March 30 , 2007
Web site: http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=544688&curr
PageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

CSF to help improve fish quality for export
ARIF RANA
ISLAMABAD (March 30 2007): The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) has undertaken the job for Pakistan to help improve its fish quality for export and re-enter in Europe and other global markets with a big bang. It is also working in a number of other areas, such as making the private sector efficient and competitive by cutting down its cost and stay in the world market as a strong player to earn more foreign exchange for Pakistan.

It is also working for improving income of the rural areas through better agriculture output and making the young ones trained to help them become a useful citizen of Pakistan. USAID and Ministry of Finance have set up a fund for pushing forward the idea of competitiveness in Pakistan.

CSF chief executive officer Arthur Bayhan talks exclusively with Business Recorder on the objectives of the Competitiveness Support Fund and its working for helping all the stakeholders vibrant to make Pakistan competitive globally. He is a firm believer of a free market economy system, having focus improving the life of the poor and setting-up an exploitation free society.

Arthur Bayhan also believes that the government should restrict itself to the role of a facilitator and policy-maker and leave the business and trade for the private sector.

He supports the idea of privatisation of the public sector entities, even of those, which run in profit. CSF CEO said being an expert on competitiveness, he believes that business and trade were meant for the private sector and wherever the government took over this role its performance remained dismal.

In Pakistan's case Arthur Bayhan is not satisfied with the private sector performance. He wants Pakistan's private sector change its attitude towards the government for seeking protection and come forward to take the role of an engine to drive the economy.

He said private sector in Pakistan has to say good by to its attitude of slow going as it cannot help it make gain in today's world which suits the fittest and smart in all the cases. He also wants that private sector should have professional management and shun away its past practice of centralised decision making.

He believes that professionalism can help Pakistan's private as well as the government make right decision and go for mid-term and long-term policy making. The CSF CEO also wants more investment from private sector for human development and research. He said research and human development comes first and then it can work as a basic for technology application.

He maintained that CSF was also working on some other projects for giving suggestions to the government to improve infrastructure and other facilities to minimise days for exports as well as quicken supply of the products in the local market. Arthur Bayhan sees comparatively quick progress in Pakistan's different sectors. He, in particular, listed motor cycle manufacturing, auto industry and food processing and packing industry as promising areas to help Pakistan maintain high economic growth.

He appreciates the government for giving priority to the notion of competitiveness and facilitating CSF for helping all sectors active to take full potential of the available resources.