Pakistan real estate has always been unpredictable because of the lack of policies and regulations.
There is no check and balance system in the country for this sector as well as the property tax system is also not very effective. Moreover, with the implementation of the new tax laws, the sector has suffered altogether and the stakeholders are not certain what the future holds for them. If the government takes this highly contributing sector seriously, it will add more to the company’s GDP. By just focusing on three aspects, the government of Pakistan can ensure that the real estate sector performs up to its full potential.
Computerizing Properties
Each year, the country loses a significant amount of money due to scams and frauds committed by patwaris. Whenever the government intends to go for digitization of this sector, it has to face huge backlash and protests by the patwaris. However, in Punjab and KPK, the land digitization process has been implemented and properties are being computerized. If this process is initiated in other regions as well, it will be very beneficial in eradicating scams from this sector. Moreover, the time of local courts will also be saved due to a lesser number of fraud cases.
Attracting Investors
One of the major reasons why the real estate sector fails to attract local and foreign investors is that there exists a monopoly of politically influential people. Under ideal conditions, the market should be transparent and should not pose any threat to the new investors no matter if they are local or foreigner. Moreover, the foreign investors should be facilitated to invest directly in Pakistan and the government should make all the arrangements to ensure a safe investment plan. Not only will it contribute to the country’s economy but it will also create a healthy competition in the market.
Empowering Local Bodies
On the provincial level, it can become very difficult to hear and solve the cases. For this reason, the local bodies and authorities should be empowered who should deal with all the real estate matters of that particular region. It will also provide an additional platform or forum to the investors where they can appeal and make their voices heard. If the local bodies are given the authority, they can facilitate all the investors of that region and provide a safeguard to their properties.
By implementing just these three things, the government of Pakistan can make sure that the real estate sector flourishes more and contributes more to the growth of the economy. At ilaan.com, we are optimistic that things will get better eventually after the political situation stabilizes. But it will need a huge push from the concerned authorities if they want to make real estate sector a notable contributor to Pakistan’s economy.
