Resource information
Balochistan offers some of the best
assets for development. Balochistan is generously bestowed
with natural and locational resources. It possesses the
largest land area of any province of Pakistan, proving vast
rangeland for goats, sheep, buffaloes, cattle, camels and
other livestock. Its southern border makes up about two
thirds of the national coastline, giving access to a large
pool of fishery resources. As a frontier province, it is
ideally situated for trade with Iran, Afghanistan, Central
Asia and the Persian Gulf countries. Over the last four
decades, it supplied cheap natural gas to Pakistan's
economic centers, supporting the country's
industrialization. This report offers an empirical analysis
of provincial economic development and the ways in which the
provincial and federal governments, supported by donors, can
help to foster it. It is organized around three topics: the
stock taking of economic outcomes over the last decades; the
Strategies for inclusive economic development of generating
growth, delivering services, and financing development in
the future; and the instruments for today's economic
policies to bring about the required changes. The five main
findings of the report are as follows. First, there are good
reasons to be optimistic about Balochistan's
development. Provincial and federal reforms, the synergies
between Balochistan's and Pakistan's development
agenda in the areas of energy and trade, and the strong
performance of the national economy present a unique
opportunity to move Balochistan from the periphery to the
core of economic development to the benefit of its people.
Second, in order to overcome the challenges that held back
provincial development for many decades, Balochistan should
pursue a development agenda around generating growth,
delivering services, and financing development. This
approach can make sure that Balochistan's development
path is inclusive, where the gains are shared across regions
and population groups. Third, generating growth requires
leveraging Balochistan's resource and locational
advantages, deepening its capacity for value-addition, and
strengthening the foundations for business activity. Fourth,
delivering services depends on improving the public
administration, making devolution more effective and
scaling-up of basic services with innovative approaches
involving the private sector and communities. Finally,
financing development relies on a prudent management of
provincial expenditures, strengthening the capacity for
revenue collection, and advancing fiscal devolution.
