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Pakistan’s competitive advantages in six key areas
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By: Sourajit Aiyer
An advance in annual gross domestic product of around 3% in recent years does not reflect the true potential of Pakistan, a country of 180 million. While
recent positives highlighted in the second review of the IMF during its assistance programme for the country suggest the economy is taking constructive
shape, a lot is still needed to sustain and enhance that momentum.
The number of graduates and professionals is increasing each year. If job creation fails to keep pace with talent supply, then the youth‟s restlessness and
frustrations with the establishment will only increase. Once an organised job market brings in more people within its fold and income sustains a northward
trend, the community‟s purchasing power rises and creates more demand.
Apart from jobs, recent newsflow suggests key challenges facing the economy are: boosting exports, increasing foreign direct investment (FDI), reducing
dependence on foreign assistance through fiscal self-sufficiency, and converting into a more producer-oriented nation.
These challenges are already known to everyone. Potential solutions are also known. But how can the economy utilize this improving climate to hasten the
economic advance? At such stages, it is imperative to identify and build upon areas of „competitive advantages‟.
These are areas where a country already has some inherent resources, which act as a foundation. Thereafter, once it invests to further develop the talent,
processes and competencies of these sectors, they have the potential to grow much faster than other sectors.
This helps it to become a producer-nation of choice in the global arena in those areas. The aim is to become specialists in areas of competitive advantages
so that it becomes a country of „first-recall‟, or at least „initial-recall‟, when foreign partners are looking to source or invest.
Most importantly, these build brand for the country, and if one looks at the global context, it is critical to create branding in today‟s competitive age. Branding
creates relevance and recall.
Experience of emerging markets shows India did it in the IT/software sector, Taiwan in chips/semiconductors, China in hardware manufacturing, etc. This
enhances opportunities for sustained economic growth, investing into mass job creation, and meeting the changing aspirations of its people.
Pakistan already has competencies in textiles, home furnishings, primary products etc. But it needs more to achieve the economic magnitude required for a
country its size. In the next pages are six areas where I think the country can convincingly build competitive advantage.
Pages: 1 2 3
This entry was posted in In Depth, Views and tagged China, competitive advantages, development, economic growth, emerging markets, India, Pakistan,
south-east Asia, youth unemployment on April 30, 2014 by Antonia Oprita.
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2. It has already gained ground in some of them. But I think it can break even deeper ground globally if it invests into the talent/capital/regulations to build its
competitive expertise further, and emerge as a country of initial-recall in them.
I have briefly touched upon the basic rationale and challenges for each. Some are with an export-orientation since the domestic market cannot always
consume the entire capacity. Also, the importance of export earnings cannot be overemphasized for reducing deficits in public finances.
However, the country needs to remember it is not alone in competing for these sectors in the global arena. A number of countries are competing, and
already have a head start. But that does not reduce the potential for Pakistan in any way, since the underlying rationale for it is strong enough. It just needs
to work to bring the same value to the table at a competitive cost.
GLOBAL OFFSHORING
This is a new-age sector employing many in the 20s/30s age group in many emerging markets. Global offshoring typically operates in a value-chain
evolution in any country.
It starts from business process outsourcing activities. This employs mass and the client‟s main objective is cost reduction. Once the comfort factor deepens
with the deliverable consistency and talent quality, it moves to the next stage of the value chain – knowledge process outsourcing activities.
This employs specialists and the client‟s main objective is intellect replacement. India‟s off-shoring sector has gone through this evolution, as have Chile
and Poland. The Philippines has entered the business process outsourcing (BPO) space, and it evolves similarly.
Most South Asian countries have the ingredients for gaining global market share – English language command, a strong schooling/university system thanks
to the British colonial legacy, intelligent graduates across disciplines who have done well globally and a very young population willing to adapt, learn and put
in the long hours.
For the BPO segment specifically, the region‟s location is such that it can pitch to global clients both in the east and in the west due to minimum time lapse
with either. Offshoring has led to huge campuses for captive centers and third-party centers in India, Chile, etc. It is a large-scale employer of young
population and the scale of investment made locally indicates long-term commitments.
A challenge to gain global market share is to showcase the capability of its local talent in the global arena, so that conviction builds in their quality. It needs
to bring back some citizens from abroad, those who have experience working with the client firms, and hence can bring value to develop the sector back
home.
Another is the stability, as absence of attrition management strategies creates roadblocks to gaining long-term contracts. Infrastructure demands are
significant though, with the need to develop large properties around the talent-rich cities.
CEMENT PRODUCTION
Pakistan‟s cement story is well-recognized. Output of leading cement makers is globally certified, and is comparably cheaper than most other producers.
Cement is also a key sector on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE).
But exports have not picked to the fullest potential. The country has a supply of the key raw material,- limestone, to ensure production capacity. On the
demand side, construction is going strong in most developing countries.
In India, it is estimated that about two-thirds of the buildings that will exist by 2030 are yet to be built. African nations like Ethiopia, Nigeria, Botswana and
Kenya have seen construction activity pick up with improvement in their economies.
In the Middle East, large-scale towns are coming up. The key challenge here is to break into new export markets in both cement and clinker products. This
might need continued engagement with stakeholders in those target countries through bilateral meetings, trade-shows or partnerships.
Cost competitiveness in the global market has to be maintained. There is not much one can do about tariff regulations on imports in other countries except
bilateral negotiations/advocacy, given that most countries produce cement.
So the country has to concentrate disproportionately on at least keeping its local cost of production low, and reducing delivery turnaround by streamlining
the corridors which transport the consignment to the ports.

3. PROCESSED/PACKAGED FOODS
Pakistan is already a key exporter in primary agro produce and some processed foods. Given the socio-economic evolution that typically happens in
countries as their economies become larger, it can mean increasing demand for processed/packaged foods.
This is because as the economies become larger, they require an increase in workforce and longer working hours. If the experience of India and most other
emerging markets shows anything, daily cooking is not practical with a working population comprising both men and women due to lack of time and lack of
hands.
But since the population is earning more, it is able and willing to pay for convenience. Apart from longevity, increasing awareness of hygiene is another
factor. Packaged food addresses hygiene better than the raw version.
There might be a rationale to invest into further processing facilities, given this would have a growing domestic market as the economy becomes larger, plus
a major export market if costs remain competitive.
Currently, most Asian department stores stock processed/packaged foods from Thailand, Malaysia, China etc. Pakistan already has a ready supply of raw
products like meats, grains, fruits, etc, so can compete effectively with the incumbents.
Production processes also evolve, as evidenced by the large-scale cattle farms in Argentina etc dedicated for meat produce. Most importantly, this sector
addresses a major social objective. It is a major employer for the female workforce, thus ensuring women contribute to the economic process and
increasing household income.
Skills are also easily developed, since the assembling and packaging process is not as complicated as in some other manufacturing sectors.
ANIMATION AND GRAPHICS
This area might sound unconventional, but I firmly believe that most people in the South Asian region have a creative and imaginative streak in them.
Maybe it has come through heredity due to our centuries-old cultures, or maybe it has come as a „counter-force‟ to take the mind away from the hardships
our countries have faced historically. Whatever the reason, there seems to be an abundant supply of creativity and imagination in this part of the world.
Developing the animation and graphics sector might be a way to channel this talent productively. Thanks to increased proliferation of advertising and
entertainment content, there is a big demand potential for both graphics and animation worldwide.
Also, as the experience of evolving social structures in most large economies shows, more children end up playing on games or watching TV content for
entertainment, rather than playing outdoors. While this might not sound like a healthy proposition, Pakistan might eventually also go the same way.
Japan, Korea and India have developed hubs of production, whose content are viewed globally today. Increasing the manpower supply needs professional
institutes dedicated to these disciplines, which churn out skilled professionals in designing, visualization, artwork, character modeling, etc. The inherent
imagination and creativity will achieve the rest.
SOLAR POWER SECTOR
Despite getting close to resolving its electricity “circular debt” conundrum – where big, government consumers cannot pay suppliers, creating financial
blockages and leading to shortages – the country still faces energy challenges.
Increase in economic activity will demand even more power. Prices of oil and natural gas imports will not become much cheaper, keeping the cost of
producing electricity high.
For a country with a large area and energy shortages, large-scale „Solar Farms‟ connected to the national/provincial grids might address some of the
shortfall. Solar photovoltaic panels are easily set up on tracts where real estate and agriculture development are not occurring.
The main challenge is the panel cost, as it can make the per-unit electricity costly. However, as demand picks up with increasing acceptability of energy
alternatives, the cost of panels can be expected to move south.
An example is that of compact fluorescent light bulbs in India, whose price fell drastically in recent years as demand increased. Local factories of panels can
also come up with improving visibility of the demand potential, creating further jobs and export opportunities.

4. Panels are the main cost, as sunlight is free. Some of the cost incurred can be realised by staggered pricing for higher levels of electricity consumption per
dwelling, though this is a sensitive issue. Owners of the identified tracts need to be compensated through leases.
Earmarking such land parcels at the initial stage itself would help estimate the quantum of panels to be procured, and thus bargain for better pricing. Output
can also be exported out to its neighbouring markets if the rationale and network exists.
TEACHING ENGLISH/PRIMARY EDUCATION
Sending out instructors for English-language, primary and secondary education might seem unconventional too, but there is a rationale.
First, many countries have emerged from decades-long civil wars in recent years. Their middle-aged generation spent most of its time in conflict zones and
did not pick up education to that extent. Hence, the supply of instructors to teach their young generation is limited.
Second, there are countries which are seeing growth now, but need to increase their qualified workforce to achieve the next level of development. But
education enrolments were not high in the past, hence the supply to teach increased number of students is limited.
Third, there are countries where the number of English speakers was limited, but which are focusing on this skill in today‟s modern economic age.
Examples of all the three cases abound across continents. In order to meet the supply of instructors, there might be potential to send out qualified teachers
to those countries.
The region has excellent educational institutions, which are producing quality manpower in line with the British education system. Hence, supply is assured
and of good quality.
Such instructors might emerge as a key source of foreign remittances in coming years. They might be cost effective as compared to instructors from
Western countries. For instance, a number of English instructors have moved to China from the West, but I am sure the cost of Asian instructors would be
lower comparatively.
The only reason why I am limiting the scope of instructors to schooling is because schooling content is more universal across countries, and this is the
foundation which many countries are unable to fill in. Higher education can be the next stage.
It is imperative for Pakistan to utilize its current improving climate by concentrating on areas of competitive advantages. It has to emerge as a country of
initial-recall in the global market in those areas ahead of peers.
Its businesses have to increase their visibility on global platforms like road shows, tradeshows and forums. Developing Pakistan‟s areas of competitive
advantage will help achieve long-term mass employment, sustained economic growth, export earnings and it would build a brand for the country in the
global arena.
The author works with a leading capital markets company in India. Views expressed are entirely personal and do not represent those of any entity.
Pages: 1 2 3
This entry was posted in In Depth, Views and tagged China, competitive advantages, development, economic growth, emerging markets, India, Pakistan,
south-east Asia, youth unemployment on April 30, 2014 by Antonia Oprita.