Page 45 - The Pakistan Accountant Oct-Dec 2018

according to the data of recently this represents an opportunity for skilled concluded 6th Population and Housing and talented Pakistanis and The Institute of Census 2017. Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) can play an increasingly important role, However, it is no surprise that a lot but more on that later.) of Pakistanis also aspire to leave the motherland in search for better prospects: Unfortunately, due to the shifting political and economic situation in the Middle East, Pakistani migrants’ numbers to It’s not just us humans who these countries have started to fall now. like to move around; some Especially in Saudi Arabia where the numbers of the outbound have fallen of the greatest migrations year on year for the first time in history. Specifically, 460,000 Pakistani labourers regularly take place in the were recruited by Saudi Arabian employers in 2016, an 11 per cent drop as compared animal kingdom. to 2015, with a further decline expected in 2017 (Dawn, 3 April 2018 https://www. dawn.com/news/1399286). “More than 1.6 million Pakistanis proceeded to Saudi Arabia between So why has working in the Middle East 2011 and 2015 for employment purpose, started to lose its sheen? There might be making the country the largest market for several reasons: Pakistani workers across the world. This ■ Greater focus by the Middle Eastern makes up 49.9 percent of Pakistanis who governments on employing local talent, went abroad seeking jobs, according to the especially Saudi Arabia. ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human ■ Declining pay, higher living costs and Resource Development. Nearly 1.3 million introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT). people (38.2 percent) proceeded to UAE ■ No prospect of attaining permanent for employment during the same period. status/passport. Oman was the third largest importer of ■ Limited rights and legal protection as Pakistani manpower and 0.26 million compared to citizens. (7.6 percent) job-seekers proceeded to Oman during 2011-2015, Pakistani media As advancements in travel quoted a ministry official as saying. The illiterate and unskilled workers comprises and communication around half of the total Pakistani migrant workers and only 1.76 percent workers make the world smaller, are doing white collar jobs, the official said. Among the skilled workers, drivers migration trends are are in the highest number, followed by masons, carpenters and tailors. Since changing accordingly. 1971 till December 2015, around 8.77 million Pakistanis proceeded abroad for employment through the Bureau of Our talented workforce started looking Emigration and Overseas Employment beyond the gulf and towards the west a (BEOE). Out of this total manpower exports, long time ago: UK in 60-70’s, USA in 80’s about 96 percent have proceeded only to and Canada in 90’s. UK and USA have a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, large Pakistani diaspora and moving there one percent to European countries and used to be relatively easier if you have three percent to other countries for a blood relative who is a national. The employment during the same period.” subsequent emergence of Canada as a − Arab News 14 July 2016 (http://www. destination for skilled migrants prompted arabnews.com/node/953306/saudi-arabia) a large exodus from South Asia and South East Asia, most notably China and India. (I have deliberately highlighted a few lines Engineers, doctors and accountants moved in the above excerpt from Arab News as to Canada in droves but they were not October - December 2018 The Pakistan Accountant 43