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Roots of backwardness
submitted 7 months 7 hours ago by: irfanzafar : 5 comments
Pakistan and India spend 3.2 percent and 2.5 percent of their GDP on defence while having a literacy rate of 49.9 percent and 61 percent respectively. In comparison, Japan and Germany spend 0.8 percent and 1.5 percent of their GDP respectively on defence while having a literacy rate of 99 percent.
What differentiates us from these two highly developed countries is our spending on education and defence. Looking at the relative priorities given to the two sectors, is a main reason for our backwardness not obvious?
Islamabad
Daily Times (6th of May, 2008)
Dr. Irfan Zafar
irfanzafar@msn.com
Comments
I dunno.. I am not that comfortable comparing GDP %ages... So if Pakistan increases her GDP.. then the % spending on defence with regards to GDP will decrease automatically.. No? Where is the problem then..
Its not that simple. Whatever is announced in the budget that such and such amount will be spent on defence, health, education etc....do you think all that amount is being spent in the right direction. I think most of it goes in the pockets of the ruling elite.
Do you have any idea how much was the education budget of Punjab each year for the last 5 years?
No Fallen Angel, please enlighten us.
Doc :
You are right...In the name of cold war we are spending alot of our budget . In 1997 our education budget was just 0.5% of GDP (as IJT published a white paper at that time).
For 2007-08 budget ...our education budget remained 24 billion rupees and defence budget 275 billion rupees.....It means education budget is 8.7% of defence budget...NO COMPARISON POSSIBLE....A HORRIBLE SITUATION
We need an audit of defence expenses .
Please note that this education budget 24 billion rupees is not all for research....in that budget they include non-development expense as well....