The purpose of a policy brief is to provide a concise overview of a policy issue, highlighting the main points and potential implications. It is typically used to inform decision makers and the public about a specific policy issue and to provide guidance on how to address it. These Policy briefs also provides evidence-based recommendations for policy makers.
This policy paper, created by the Azra Naheed Centre for Research and Development (ANCRD), lays out a transformational strategy aimed at leveraging Pakistan’s skilled medical workforce to generate $1 billion in foreign exchange through healthcare sector reforms. Pakistan’s proficient medical professionals are a valuable asset, and there exists a significant international demand for their experience, notably in countries like the USA. Acknowledging this demand, our proposed strategy centers on enabling overseas Pakistani and international students to pursue Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS) degrees within Pakistan.
Sending human capital abroad from developing countries, like Pakistan, is crucial to boost remittances, addressing economic and social challenges and fostering a brighter future. It is especially needed keeping in view the current 17 million underemployed or idle youth in Pakistan which is increasing with 0.8 million additional youth adding to the pool every year.
In 2022, India, with 32 million expatriates, received $111 billion in remittances, while Pakistan earned $31 billion with around 10 million expatriates, each averaging $3,400 annually.
Entrepreneurial ecosystem of the country is governed by a multitude of policy instruments that lay down the vision for development and posit policy asks from different stakeholders. Role of universities and research institutes is well recognized however their nexus with the stakeholders is yet to be spelled out. Entrepreneurial ecosystem may be better understood through internal ecosystem of universities and the larger external entrepreneurial ecosystem. Only a strong internal system centered at entrepreneurial teaching and training can cultivate the needed external linkages with stakeholders. Internal ecosystem of universities, access to finance, market dynamics, and regulatory regime governing start-ups play a pivotal role in determining the success of national entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The I.T. industry of Pakistan has shown remarkable growth over the past 5 years and it is expected that the sector will attain volume of US $7 billion over the next 4 years. The healthy state of the sector, especially that of growth of freelancing, is mainly due to development of skilled human resource and its availability to national, regional, and international markets at a relatively lower cost. Reforms of public policies has also played its role in moving towards digitalization of sectors of economy and has helped in improving the general state of the sector. However, challenges of I.T. sector are also huge and complicated. Lack of enforcement of Intellectual Property rights, absence of effective framework for e-commerce, and digital marketing remain major challenges for Pakistan that need to be addressed on priority basis.
The policy landscape of Pakistan has distinctive features of strengths and shortcomings, and divulge subjects of inquiry regarding improvement of investment climate and economic development in the country. Funding by VCs is normally associated with prior registration under the Companies Act 2017 and thus subject to SECP regulations. Phenomenon of start-ups funded by VCs stays clear of over regulations as the innovation and risk-taking elements of entrepreneurship are both recognized and nurtured by bilateral arrangements i.e. between start-up and VC(s) while fulfilling the conducive regulatory requirements. Policies allowing for asymmetries in form of functional markets in informal domain and lack of sectoral information indirectly condone the patronage of innovation by VC under a bilateral arrangement.
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