T appears that nothing high costs, low economic returns, media criticism, etc can dissuade a Sharif government from implementing a scheme that promises high political returns.

The yellow cab scheme was one of the PML-N`s populist, signature enterprises. It latest edition aims at retaining the loyalty of Punjab`s youth, especially in the face of a strong political challenge from Imran Khan`s PTL Impressed with the `success` of its previous edition initiated before the last elections, the Shahbaz Sharif government has set aside a hefty amount of Rs25bn in the budget for the present fiscal year to distribute 50,000 subsidised vehicles among the unemployed below the age of 35 in the province. Previously, it had leased out 20,000 units at a discounted price. The purpose is to create employment for jobless young men and women across the province.

The new, much bigger edition of the scheme is being executed from October this year. That it is being launched without any assessment of the economic impact on the lives of the recipients of 20,000 vehicles in 2012-13 indicates that the PML-N leadership is concerned more with the political impact of the project. It is not even known if the cabs already distributed are actually being used for the purpose they were given out for. The tradition dating back to the first yellow cab scheme by the PML-N in the 1990s is of many using it as `family` car.

Indeed, there are some measures in place to avoid repetition of the yellow cab scam of the 1990s when banks lost billions. But this is not enough. With the economy in trouble because of acute energy shortages, and inadequate and ageing economic and social infrastructure, the Punjab government needs to reset its priorities. It will do a favour to its voters and the country`s economy by diverting the taxpayers` money away from politically motivated initiatives to projects that will bridge the infrastructure gap in the province and create sustainable jobs.