Talking about the report, Oxfam Pakistan’s Country Director Mohammed Qazilbash said, “We do not have authenticated data to measure the actual level of income and wealth inequality in Pakistan and how in recent years the fortunes of rich have increased. One of the major reasons of rising disparity in Pakistan is lower wages of workers’ infringement of labour rights.”
In a statement issued on Monday, he went on to add, “Minimum wage in Pakistan is fraction of living wage on which a family of four can live a decent life in urban centres, that is also not implemented. The sizable gap in education and health outcomes, between rich and poor income groups, highlights a significant level of inequality.”
According to Oxfam’s report women workers often find themselves off at the bottom of the heap. Across the world, women consistently earn less than men and are usually in the lowest paid and least secure forms of work. By comparison, 9 out of 10 billionaires are men. “Pervasive gender inequality manifested in different dimensions in Pakistan, which means that women’s work is devalued and they end up working in low paid job and bear the undue burden of unpaid care work. 87 percent of female employees in Pakistan earned less than minimum wage,” said Qazilbash.
While talking of inequality, renowned Economist Dr. Kaiser Bengali said, “For export of every USD 100, we import goods worth USD 215. And the poor pays the difference. The richest 10 percent of Pakistanis pay 12 percent of their income in taxes while the poorest 10 percent end up giving 16 percent in taxes. We see economic growth in stats released by the state institutions. What we don’t see is that growth is not creating jobs. Financial sector’s boom didn’t result in creating new jobs. Our growth model just manifests increase in elite’s consumption patterns.”.
The world’s sixth most populous nation—Pakistan has since its existence witnessed constant challenges along ethnic, religious and political interests, while concurrently displaying resilience and dynamism. “Pakistan is today the 44th largest economy (GDP) and despite vast natural resources and promising conditions, the country’s human and economic potential remains largely underdeveloped,” the report added.
On a global level, Oxfam is calling for governments to ensure our economies work for everyone and not just the fortunate few. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International said: “The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing economic system. The people who make our clothes, assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited to ensure a steady supply of cheap goods, and swell the profits of corporations and billionaire investors.”
Results of a new global survey commissioned by Oxfam demonstrates a groundswell of support for action on inequality. Of the 70,000 people surveyed in 10 countries, nearly two-thirds of all respondents think the gap between the rich and the poor needs to be urgently addressed.
Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2018.
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