PTI govt to consider changes in economic team: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: With the possibility of changes in economic team at key positions, minister for finance-in-waiting Asad Umar has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would arrange roadshows at important destinations of the world for getting substantial investment through a dollar denominated bond after assuming reins of power.

“We will consider appropriate changes at key positions in a bid to bring people on merit, but the decision to this effect will be made after assuming the reins of power,” Asad Umar told The News on Friday.

Official sources said the government might consider changing the key bureaucrats from their existing positions to demonstrate that the PTI intends to bring an improvement in governance structure of the country. “The government may consider replacing Secretary Finance Arif Ahmed Khan and Chairperson Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Rukhsana Yasmeen,” sources said.

Asad Umar said he could not give any time-frame for launching the dollar-denominated bond to lure billions of dollars investment from expatriate Pakistanis because the coming government would have to go into details to find out whether the ministries-selected financial advisers or the coming government would do that. The PTI leader said it could take long time as the coming government would have to complete required procedures for selection of financial advisers. “We can go into market by arranging roadshows if relevant ministries have already selected financial advisers in one or two months time-frame,” he added.

Sources said the PTI government might prefer to bring in someone from private sector as the FBR chairman, but Asad Umar was non-committal on this issue and contended that that they would make appointments on merit.

Sources said it would be a litmus test for the PTI regime that how key appointments would be made to punish honest and efficient ones. The PTI will have to identify five to seven major arteries of revenue spinners whereby they will have to make appointments at members, chief commissioners, commissioners, chief collectors’ levels by selecting best of the best and doers and set precedent to proceed against those found involved in corruption and inefficiency. By doing this, the PTI can secure 90 percent revenue spinners with selection of around two dozen officers within the FBR.