Govt panel recommends abolishing 150,000 posts

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government’s Committee on Rightsizing has recommended abolishing around 150,000 vacant posts. The report was presented at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The finance minister’s committee has suggested abolishing 150,000 posts and outsourcing non-core services like cleaning and janitorial services, gradually eliminating several posts in grades 1 to 16. It also recommended a complete ban on recruitment on contingency posts and supervision of the Finance Ministry over the cash balances of the ministries.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing about reforms in the ministries of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, States and Frontier Regions, Information Technology and Telecommunication, Industries and Production as well as the National Health Services. It was proposed to merge the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions. It also recommended that 28 organisations under these five ministries should either be shut down, privatized or transferred to the federating units. It also proposed to merge 12 institutions in these five ministries.

The prime minister directed to get approval of these reforms from the federal cabinet and advised that a comprehensive plan for their implementation should be presented. He said that the government’s institutional reforms are aimed at reducing burden on the national exchequer and improving the services, adding that reduction in government expenses is his priority.

Shehbaz further said that state institutions which have not shown adequate performance in terms of public service and are a burden on the national exchequer should either be instantly closed or be privatised. He announced to personally supervise the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda), meant to encourage small and medium businesses. He directed that Smeda should be brought under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Meanwhile, chairing another meeting, the prime minister decided to carry out reforms in the gemstones sector to promote the industry and enhance its exports. He said that he would personally head the steering committee to promote and reform the industry. He tasked Privatisation Minister Abdul Aleem Khan to ensure the implementation of reforms. Shehbaz said the government would launch a project in Gilgit-Baltistan to elevate the standards of mining and value addition of gemstones industry, assuring the federal government’s support to GB government. He directed the authorities to formulate an action plan of international standards within a month and take measures for its implementation. He told the participants that the government would not allow smuggling of gemstones and sought a report.

The meeting was informed that 178 licenses had been issued for the mining of gemstones. It was said that 80 percent of gemstones exports consisted of raw materials and promotion of the industry would help exports and create jobs. The prime minister also called for a comprehensive action plan for the skill training of manpower in modern mining, polishing and value addition. The meeting was told that GB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir had huge reserves of gemstones but conventional methods were causing wastage. It was told that raw material was mostly smuggled and other countries exported it after value addition. Despite huge reserves, Pakistan’s gemstone exports stood at a few million dollars.

The prime minister tasked the privatisation minister to implement the proposals and launch a pilot project in the GB within a week.

During another meeting, Aga Khan Foundation Director Sultan Ali Alana praised the prime minister’s business-friendly policies. He lauded Shehbaz for his efforts in securing economic stability, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. The prime minister commended the Aga Khan Foundation for its contributions to public welfare and its support and consultancy services in the construction of Jinnah Medical Complex.