Research suggests that politics plays a pivotal role in public service provision in contexts of scarce resources. However, there is limited evidence available on how dynastic politicians influence public service delivery. We examine this question in the context of the health sector in Punjab, Pakistan. By employing a representative sample of rural health clinics, we develop measures to capture doctors’ outcomes at the clinic level. These data are then matched with provincial constituency-level data to study the impact of having a dynastic member of the parliament (MP) on doctors’ assignment, attendance, and tenure in their respective constituencies. Our findings show that having a dynastic MP has no discernible impact on the assignment and attendance of doctors. However, clinics in constituencies with a dynastic MP have relatively experienced doctors. Furthermore, our suggestive evidence from the Pakistan Household and Living Measurement Survey (PSLM) shows that individuals living in districts with a higher proportion of dynastic MPs report lower improvements in clinic services and are less satisfied with those services. Our main findings remain robust to various alternative explanations.
KEYWORDS: Political Dynasties, Public Goods Provision, Pakistan, PSLM.
JEL: H51, H89.

The Government of Pakistan reimburses SAR 30 in Telegraphic Transfer Charges (TTC) for every USD 100 or more transferred by a foreign MTO into the country, as compensation for their transaction costs. In May 2020, the government removed this facility for KSA, citing zero transaction costs announced by the KSA authorities for digital money transfers from the kingdom. The inflow of workers’ remittances from KSA began to decrease once KSA eased the travel ban. This paper aims to estimate the impact of the withdrawal of TTC reimbursement on remittances flowing from KSA to Pakistan. The difference-indifference (DID) method is applied to data from July 2018 to September 2022. The estimates indicate that this policy caused an average monthly decline in remittances from KSA between US$ 31 million and US$ 76 million. The findings appear to be robust to various estimation adjustments.
KEYWORDS: Pakistan, remittance inflow, policy impact, Covid-19, panel data.
JEL: F24, F31.

This paper explores the economics of environmental sustainability practices in the hospitality industry, focusing on the operational efficiency of hotels, cost-effectiveness, and return on investment (ROI), with a specific focus on the emerging market in Pakistan. Results indicate that green retrofits, including LED lighting and HVAC optimization, deliver average energy savings of 25-40 percent, payback periods of 1-5 years, and internal rate of return (IRR) of 18. Food-waste minimization systems, such as Winnow and Leanpath, have a 7:1 ROI in two years, and water recycling systems reduce consumption by 20-30 percent in less than four years. Hotels that operate sustainably worldwide show reduced operating costs by up to 30 percent and premium rates of 5-15 percent, based on customer willingness to pay higher rates in environmentally conscious hotels. The article presents a combination of comparative ROI modeling, policy SWOT analysis, and cross-regional benchmarking to assess the feasibility and scalability of green investments. By linking economic indicators to environmental performance, this research confirms that sustainability practices are not only environmentally advantageous but also economically strategic.
KEYWORDS: Pakistan, remittance inflow, policy impact, Covid-19, panel data.
JEL: E22, F64, O13.

It is widely believed that resources are becoming scarcer, and measuring their availability is crucial for efficient allocation. This study measures the availability and affordability of essential items in Pakistan before and after COVID-19. Time Price, Price Elasticity of Population (PEP), and Simon Abundance Index (SAI) are calculated to analyze thirty-nine items from Pakistan's CPI basket. The findings reveal that from 2006 to 2018, the Time Price decreased for almost all items, indicating increased affordability and resource abundance relative to population growth. However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the Time Prices of essential commodities, making them less affordable and less abundant. Policymakers are advised to adjust wages to maintain purchasing power and to adopt resilient strategies to ensure Pakistan is well prepared for such crises.
KEYWORDS: Resource abundance, time price, Simon abundance index, inflation measurement, COVID-19 impact, Pakistan.
JEL: E31, C43, J21, O47.