Running out of time for reforms

LAHORE: Economic reforms in Pakistan are compromised on political considerations, as parties change their stance on reforms when they are out of power.

Documentation for instance is the aim of any party that assumes power. Political opponents agitate against proper documentation to make it impossible for the sitting government to pursue the documentation agenda in letter and spirit.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) opposed documenting traders when Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) was in power. The PPP sided with traders when PML-N tried to achieve this objective during its tenure.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while in opposition was strongly against bringing traders into the proper tax net. After assuming power, the first step it took was to document the trading activities.

It was opposed by the PPP and PML-N forcing it to back out of its aim to ensure that sales above Rs50,000 should be accompanied with the computerised identity card of the buyer.

This has been going on since 1985. We have not made any substantial progress in this regard in the last 37 years.

Most of the governments formed during this period were composed of different political forces. Each coalition partner is important and must be accommodated in postings and transfers, appointments, and development funds.

These steps compromise merit and transparency. No government made serious efforts to bring all political forces on one page as far as the economic policies are concerned. After assuming power, the priority of those in power has always been to benefit and facilitate their supporters and political allies.

Bureaucrats are forced to toe the line of the ruling elite or be ready to be transferred to the remotest areas. Posting in remote areas is taken as punishment and only the dissenting bureaucrats undergo this punishment.

Army is considered as the most disciplined force in the country. Every officer in the army must serve both in big cities and hardship areas.

The promotions are subjected to these postings all of which are tenure based. There are no exceptions. If there are for some reasons like an ailing wife that needs care at a large combined military hospital, the promotions are suspended.

Since there are no rules of posting and transfers that are evenly applied, bureaucrats are at the mercy of the ruling elite for lucrative postings. We have never seen political opponents threatening an army officer of dire consequences if they assumed power.

It is because the army is a disciplined force, and no outsider could change the rules of transfers and postings.

But it is common in case of civil bureaucracy to threaten bureaucrats, be it IG, DIG and a deputy commissioner, to hurl threats when they are deputed to maintain law and order.

It is high time that the bureaucracy be given independence from political interference. Each officer, whether in police or any department must serve a post for a fixed tenure and serve in cities and remotest areas during the course of service to qualify for next promotion.

Just as there is no direct entry of a major or a general in the army, there should be no direct appointments in the bureaucracy at high posts.

Give the bureaucrats the power of tenure and then expect them to perform.

You cannot expect a bureaucrat to deliver if he/she is posted for short periods and subject to immediate transfer on the whim of the provincial or federal heads or their ministers. The law and order would improve, the delivery of government services would be better.

Revenues would also increase because the revenue officers would not be restrained by the ruling party against conducting raids on the premises of tax evaders. The environment department would be able to seal all polluting industries.

They would come up with clean processes to reopen their industries.

Fixed tenure should be accompanied with accountability. If the law and order situation deteriorates or does not improve, the head of the police station should be shown the door (army does not transfer incompetent officers but removes them through a process).

The bureaucracy would go by the rules just like the army if political interference is stopped. All discretions should be taken from the bureaucracy as well as the ruling elite.

If any discretion is needed, the relevant assembly should grant it on one time bases.

We need complete transparency in our affairs to ensure that the reforms instituted in the past three decades are implemented and no one dares to dilute them.

Pakistan needs economic reforms in line with the best global practices. These reforms are possible if all the political forces are on the same page at least as far as the economy is concerned. Political compromises give rise to half cooked reforms that create distortions.