It is that time of the year again. No, not mango season — though that might offer more sweetness than what is coming. It is pre-budget seminar season in Pakistan, our annual economic charade where universities, think tanks, chambers of commerce, and just about every office with a whiteboard and Wi-Fi hold solemn gatherings to discuss 'The Way Forward'. PowerPoint clickers are charged, macroeconomic jargon is dusted off, and economists reappear like migratory birds, repeating the same truths that have now become ritual chants.

One wonders: is there a secret mandate from the Ministry of Finance compelling every economics department to host at least one budget seminar before June? Or is it just national cosplay everyone pretending their budget recommendations will somehow find their way into the corridors of power, where the actual budget is being stitched together in Excel sheets, under IMF supervision and political desperation?

The truth is that these seminars have become Pakistan's economic folklore. They appear in May, make a bit of noise, generate a few tweets, and vanish without a trace much like the budgets they try to influence.

Let us take a moment to salute our brave economic commentators. Year after year, they appear on stage like clockwork, armed with the same prescriptions: broaden the tax base, rationalise subsidies, increase exports, fix the energy sector, reduce the fiscal deficit, and invest in human capital.........

© The Express Tribune