Federal govt rightsizing: 82 govt entities being reduced to 40 after merger

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Tuesday, approved recommendations submitted by the Committee on Restructuring and Rightsizing for the merger and dissolution of 82 government departments and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

The cabinet, while giving assent to the recommendations, also constituted a committee to protect the interests of employees who would be affected by the merger and dissolution of various departments. These 82 entities are being transformed into 40 robust institutions through digitization, smart management, efficient governance, transparency and swift implementation to provide better facilities to the common man, a statement issued by the PM Media Wing said.

The cabinet was informed that in the first phase, enforcement of the committee’s recommendations has already been started in six ministries to help improve government performance, correct use of human capital and policymaking and end unnecessary delays in the implementation of decisions. It also approved recommendations of the Ministry of Housing and Works on the transfer of staff and ongoing development works under PSDP to other ministries and provinces, following the dissolution of Pak PWD.

In the light of recommendations of the Ministry of Housing and Works, the development work, necessary maintenance staff and pending inquiries would be handed over to relevant ministries and provincial governments.

The cabinet was briefed that $130 million was saved by stopping the import of urea and providing uninterrupted gas supply to urea factories.

The cabinet was also given a detailed briefing on the implementation of austerity measures started during the previous Shehbaz Sharif tenure. The cabinet approved the continuation of austerity measures, including voluntary waiver of salary by cabinet members, ban on the purchase of government vehicles other than essential vehicles such as ambulances, ban on the purchase of new equipment and machinery, creation of new government posts, unnecessary travel abroad at government expense and ban on medical treatment abroad.

The prime minister said that the government was implementing institutional reforms for the best governance. “To bring the country’s system at par with international requirements and modern need, the government is introducing digitization and smart management in departments and ministries,” the prime minister said.

Appreciating the implementation of austerity measures by federal ministries, Shehbaz directed them to ensure the continuation of the same.

The cabinet strongly condemned the incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and the cowardly attacks by terrorists on innocent citizens. It emphasized taking strict action against the terrorists behind these incidents. Fateha was offered for the martyred civilians and security personnel.

While strongly condemning the fresh acts of terrorism in Balochistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the cabinet, said that the government would extend all possible resources to the armed forces to act against terrorists while imposing cuts on other expenses. “The government has conveyed to the armed forces that it will provide all possible financial and material resources to eliminate terrorists,” he said.

Moreover, he observed that the army chief, officers and jawans have resolved to put an end to the menace of terrorism at all costs. “I think the whole nation is unanimous on this issue and there are no two opinions on it,” he said.

However, the prime minister maintained that doors of talks will remain open for all those groups and people who believe in Pakistan’s Constitution and its flag.

The PM said he would soon visit Balochistan and take immediate decisions. Shehbaz said that a fresh wave of terrorism in which over 50 Pakistanis, including officers and jawans of Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies, were martyred was a very serious matter.

Shehbaz said that terrorists also martyred several Pakistanis in Dera Ismail Khan and other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last few months. “This is no more a secret these terror activities are being carried out by TTP terrorists who operate from Afghanistan,” he said.

In this connection, not only has the Afghan government been sensitised but very effective operations were carried out against terrorists as well.

The prime minister, while maintaining that terrorists could not terrorize the people in Balochistan, observed that the objective behind such heinous acts was to hinder the progress of the country, particularly the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) and create distances between China and Pakistan. He said that the time has come to put an end to terrorists saying that sacrifices given and being rendered for the cause would not be wasted.

Meanwhile, the preliminary process to merge two state-owned companies, Inter-State Gas System (ISGS) and Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL), amid the ongoing Prime Minister’s rightsizing of the federal government, has kicked off, senior officials privy to the development told The News.

“The board of directors of Pakistan LNG Limited is divided on the issue, but it has asked for due diligence of both the companies in terms of which company is in gains and which one is running into losses.” However, they said, it is the federal government that would ultimately accord approval to the merger through the federal cabinet.