Punjab leads in quality of governance

ISLAMABAD: The comparative score card on quality of governance of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Democracy and Transparency (Pildat) across Pakistan’s 4 provinces shows that the provincial government of the Punjab is leading in comparative ranking on the quality of governance with 42 percent overall score followed by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 37 percent overall score.
The provincial governments of Balochistan and Sindh share the third position with an overall score of 34 percent. These scores are based on Pildat analysis of the data provided by each of the four provincial governments on quality of governance during their first year in office after the May 2013 general elections.
While assessing the quality of governance, Pildat has looked at both the policy formulation and actual implementation of governance policies. Policy formulation including legislation and institution building was assigned a 40 percent weightage whereas the results achieved through implementation were assigned 60 percent weightage.
Compared to the score assigned on the basis of the analysis, public approval ratings of quality of governance, based on a Pildat Public Opinion Poll conducted in July-August 2014, Punjab had received the public approval rating of 48 percent and was ranked first in terms of quality of governance.
While Punjab has maintained its 1st ranking in the Pildat scorecard on quality of governance, it has scored 6 percent points below, based on data on governance provided by the Punjab government.
Quality of governance for KP government in its first year in office has received a Pildat score of 37 percent, which is 4 percent points higher than its public approval rating, 33 percent. KP, though, has retained its 2nd rank in comparative assessment on quality of governance in public approval ratings.
The Pildat score assigned to quality of governance in Balochistan, based on data provided by the Government of Balochistan, is 5 percent points lower, at 34 percent, compared to public approval rating of 39 percent. The province of Sindh, which had received the lowest approval ratings in the public opinion poll at 26 percent, has improved its scores based on the analysis of the date on quality of governance during Sindh Government’s first year in office at 34 percent.
The Punjab government is leading in 15 out of 24 parameters of governance while it has obtained highest score of 76 percent in tax collection. The lowest score assigned to the Punjab Government is in the parameter of management of unemployment at 21 percent, where it is ranked 4th among the four provinces.
Compared to Punjab, the KP government has ranked first in 2 out of 24 parameters of governance. These include management of unemployment at 38 percent and poverty alleviation at 36 percent. Overall, the KP Government’s highest score, 64 percent is obtained in tax collection (where Punjab takes the lead with 76 percent), followed by transparency at 50 percent (Punjab has the leading score of 53 percent). Its lowest score, 25 percent, is in safe drinking water supply where it is ranked 4th among the four provinces.
The provincial government of Balochistan has outranked the other three provinces in 5 out of 24 parameters. It has obtained the highest score of 60 percent in devolution of power to the lower tiers. It has obtained the lowest score, 21 percent, in anti corruption efforts, where it is ranked 4th compared to the other three provinces.
Sindh has ranked first in 3 out of the 24 parameters of governance. These include use of technologies for better governance, scored 46 percent, energy production and management, scored 44 percent and annual development programme 40 percent in which it shares the first position with Punjab.
Quality of governance during the Sindh government’s first year in office has scored the lowest in the parameters of transparency and devolution of power to lower tiers where it has obtained the score of 21 percent.