Green Pakistan: A Game Changer Under Special Investment Facilitation Council

The government created the Special Investment Facilitation Council as a special venue for facilitating investments and enhancing the country’s economic environment. Pakistan Army is actively supporting this initiative significantly, as this platform is critical for fostering an atmosphere favorable for the revival of the economy.

In recent years, Pakistan has made great strides to promote homegrown enterprises and draw in foreign investment. In keeping with this goal, the government created the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a special venue for facilitating investments and enhancing the country’s economic environment. Pakistan Army is actively supporting this initiative significantly, as this platform is critical for fostering an atmosphere favorable for the revival of the economy. 
According to estimates, food production must increase by at least 40 percent until 2025 to meet the long-term demands of the 33 percent predicted increase in population. The idea of sustainable intensive farming and corporate farming employing contemporary methods offers a potentially effective way to increase food security and improve people’s standard of living.

With about 224 million citizens, Pakistan is the sixth-most populous nation in the world. One hundred thirty-six million people, or around 64 percent of the population, reside in rural areas. Agriculture is the bedrock of these rural areas’ economy, along with livestock and fisheries, enabling most of the rural population to sustain their livelihood. The agriculture industry, however, has confronted a perpetual decline in taxing the nation’s GDP; it was over 60 percent in 1949-1950 and is now only about 23 percent.
The geometric growth of the population puts tremendous pressure on the arithmetically slow growth of the food supply. The pace of consumption is outpacing that of production. The figures below compare the production and consumption patterns since independence and projections for 2029-2030.   

Implementation of the Financial Action Task Force Plan, combating COVID-19 through a joint apparatus of National Command and Operation Center, resolving complicated issues like Reko Diq, and development projects in erstwhile FATA and Balochistan are reflective of collaborative efforts of the government and Pakistan Army.

Pakistan is confronted with a magnitude of challenges in the agriculture sector, which has a substantial negative effect on the overall economic health of the country:
▪  Rapid Population Growth. Pakistan’s population is expanding quickly, placing an additional burden on the country’s already overworked agriculture industry to increase food production.
▪ No Foreign Investment. Pakistan has always fallen short of evolving a conducive environment to attract foreign investment. With its massive potential, the agriculture sector could have contributed immensely to boosting our economy through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
▪ Lack of Modern Agricultural Techniques. Traditional agricultural practices are still used by most farmers in Pakistan, which negatively impacts production and efficiency.
▪ Land Degradation. Crop yield and agricultural sustainability are negatively impacted by soil erosion and land degradation.
▪ Lack of Irrigation Facilities. Only about 28 percent of the cultivable land is irrigated compared to 80 percent in India. This is because of the lack of an efficient water management system and poor infrastructure. 
▪  Poor Crop Yields. Pakistan’s average crop yield is two metric tons per hectare, much lower than the global average of four metric tons. This is mainly due to outdated farming methods, obsolete technology, and the shortage of quality seeds. 
▪  Unfair Water Distribution. Around 55 percent of the agricultural income comes from Sindh province, contributing only about 28 percent to the agricultural output. Moreover, 80 percent of Pakistan’s agriculture is rain-fed. This indicates that climate change affects agriculture disproportionately in Pakistan. 
▪  Lack of Post-harvest Infrastructure. Farmers often do not store their products properly due to a lack of cold storage and storage facilities and sell them at lower than market prices. 
▪ Limited Access to Financing. Only a small percentage of the farmers have access to institutional finance, which hampers their productivity.
Special Investment Facilitation Council 
Collaboration between the government and Army has always been productive in various facets of the country’s socioeconomic development. As the 21st century military is not limited to martial activities, the forces of developed countries such as the U.S. and China take on additional roles, including diplomatic and development functions such as economic development, institution-building, the rule of law, promoting internal reconciliation, good governance, providing basic services to the people, and strategic communications along with security, which is the primary objective of the armed forces. Implementation of the Financial Action Task Force Plan, combating COVID-19 through a joint apparatus of National Command and Operation Center, resolving complicated issues like Reko Diq, and development projects in erstwhile FATA and Balochistan are reflective of collaborative efforts of the government and Pakistan Army. Under the overall ambit of SIFC, the agriculture sector’s immense potential is to be tapped to accrue the desired dividends compatible with our inherited potential. This collaboration, under the overall realm of SIFC, will encompass the following areas attracting FDIs, creating opportunities for the agricultural-based domestic population, and increasing the export of agricultural products minimizing the existing quantum of imports taxing our economy.

By leveraging various entities’ expertise, resources, and technology coupled with modern irrigation systems, we shall revolutionize our agricultural sector horizontally and vertically and ensure food security for our nation.

▪ Land Information Management System (LIMS). To avail the multiple expertise of Pakistan Army, the “Land Information and Management System (LIMS) Center of Excellence (CoE)” has been established under the Director General Strategic Projects by the Adjutant General Branch, GHQ. This will be a paradigm shift in the approach to land administration and agricultural development. This state-of-the-art system will revolutionize the means to steer agricultural development through real-time information about the land, crops, weather, water resources, and pest handling under one roof. By leveraging various entities’ expertise, resources, and technology coupled with modern irrigation systems, Pakistan shall revolutionize the agricultural sector horizontally and vertically and ensure food security for the nation. Through real-time data collection, analysis, and reporting, it will have the necessary insights to make informed decisions, identify challenges, and implement timely interventions for improved production. LIMS will enormously assist in digital farm planning and ultimately lead to substantial yield by exploiting the true potential of a particular chunk of land. 

LIMS will enormously assist in digital farm planning and ultimately lead to substantial yield by exploiting the true potential of a particular chunk of land. 

▪ Availability of Land, Infrastructure, and Irrigation Facilities. Under the single window operation of SIFC aimed at easing business prospects, foreign investors will be facilitated in acquiring suitable land for corporate farming. Through the application of LIMS, potential of land for crops, orchards, vegetables, and fodder will be identified to facilitate investors. Assistance will be offered regarding providing infrastructure and allied facilities to enable investors to yield maximum benefits. These facilities will include a robust and uninterrupted irrigation water supply through the best possible means. SIFC is looking at employing advanced and worldwide-tested irrigation means for this purpose. Efforts are being made at the highest forum to expedite strategic irrigation projects, including Thar, Thal, and Kachhi canals. The construction of check dams for flash floods and new canals for flood control will be prioritized. Moreover, adopting high-efficiency irrigation techniques such as modular drip, sprinkler, pivot, and sub-surface irrigation will be incorporated. These facilities are to be supported with enduring energy resources through solar power.   

▪ Legal and Regulatory Framework. The snag of arduous and complicated legal challenges discourages potential investors from acquiring and maintaining lands in Pakistan. In investing in this field, multiple channels and varying legal formalities are a predicament. Investors, entrepreneurs, and business groups are deterred by bureaucratic hurdles, dealing with multiple licensing and regulatory authorities. They are accustomed to streamlined processes and incentives provided through centralized operations. SIFC has been established to address these issues specifically. It is evolving a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework and apparatus to ease out potential investors under the one window operation. Litigation-free availability of lands will considerably reduce the risk factors and encourage FDI and domestic farmers.  
▪ Livestock and Dairy Farming. A significant component for the revival of the economy, livestock and dairy farming is also regarded as a potential area for investment. Establishing a corporate dairy farm is key to attracting foreign and domestic investment. SIFC aims to construct livestock farms at reduced expenses to facilitate investors. Special emphasis is being laid on breeding quality animals within quarantined breeding facilities.
SIFC aims to achieve the revival of Pakistan’s economy by converting uncultivated or barren land into cultivable productive land and utilizing modern agricultural technologies to address the challenges of rising food insecurity. SIFC is not only about winning new investments, but also about saving the ailing economy. Collaboration with Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain for various agricultural projects will enhance our exports, boosting the socioeconomic development of Pakistan.