Overlapping of work: Planning ministry criticised for setting up many cells
NA panel refuses to approve fund allocations for four projects
The planning ministry presented 23 schemes, indicating allocation of roughly Rs6 billion for the next fiscal year, which was 44.5% higher than this year’s budget for these projects. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A parliamentary panel on Wednesday criticised the Ministry of Planning and Development for establishing scores of cells and refused to clear fund allocations for some of the development projects of the ministry for the next fiscal year.
The ministry that scrutinises the federal development budget and is also responsible for national economic planning faced a hard time during a meeting of the parliamentary body.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform had called the meeting to approve budgetary allocations for the ministry’s schemes for fiscal year 2016-17.
According to the revised rules of business, the allocations for development projects should be presented to respective standing committees of the National Assembly of all federal ministries for endorsement.
The planning ministry presented 23 schemes, indicating allocation of roughly Rs6 billion for the next fiscal year, which was 44.5% higher than this year’s budget for these projects. The committee cleared the funds earmarked for 19 projects, but did not give its nod for four schemes due to overlapping of work.
It mainly objected to the setting up of various centres within the planning ministry for carrying out work that is the core responsibility of the ministry, which did not need special units.
Out of the 23 schemes, the cells and units will work on about a dozen as they have been tasked with monitoring of development projects, rural economy planning, urban planning, energy planning, transport planning and above all implementation of the much-trumpeted Vision 2025. All these are core functions of the planning ministry and the Planning Commission.
“Why do we need so many centres in the Planning Commission, which is resulting in a lot of confusion and duplication of work,” asked MNA Asma Mamdot of the PML-N.
She said the government was creating a system within a system, suggesting that the commission should itself be a centre of excellence.
The standing committee did not approve budgetary allocations for the Integrated Energy Planning and Management Unit, Integrated Transport Infrastructure Planning and Management Unit, National Initiative for Sustainable Development Goals and Support and Monitoring of High Impact New Initiatives of Vision 2025.
Ministry of Planning Adviser Asif Sheikh told the committee that Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal was also not satisfied with these four projects and allocations for them were not finalised. Interestingly, the minister had himself approved the schemes as chairman of the Central Development Working Party.
For the next fiscal year beginning July, the planning ministry has proposed Rs3 billion in funds for the National Endowment Scholarships for Talent. For the current year, it had earmarked Rs1 billion for the project, which it deposited in the bank as seed money.
Under the rules of business, education is the subject of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Higher Education Commission. Total cost of the project is Rs10 billion.
Sheikh said the government would start giving scholarships from September this year and each year 300 to 500 students would get the scholarship.
The committee objected to the linking of distribution of scholarships among provinces with the National Finance Commission formula. It recommended that scholarships should be given where the rate of illiteracy stood high.
Despite having a wing to monitor the projects, the Ministry of Planning is also running a Rs360 million worth of cell for the monitoring of PSDP schemes. For the next fiscal year, the ministry has proposed Rs35.8 million for the cell.
It also proposed Rs6 million for a Rs59 million special project cell. It will monitor project execution such as schemes pertaining to Afghanistan.
Instead of improving governance, the government has begun a project worth Rs962 million for reform and innovation in government for high performance to give away money to bureaucrats.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2016.
A parliamentary panel on Wednesday criticised the Ministry of Planning and Development for establishing scores of cells and refused to clear fund allocations for some of the development projects of the ministry for the next fiscal year.
The ministry that scrutinises the federal development budget and is also responsible for national economic planning faced a hard time during a meeting of the parliamentary body.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform had called the meeting to approve budgetary allocations for the ministry’s schemes for fiscal year 2016-17.
According to the revised rules of business, the allocations for development projects should be presented to respective standing committees of the National Assembly of all federal ministries for endorsement.
The planning ministry presented 23 schemes, indicating allocation of roughly Rs6 billion for the next fiscal year, which was 44.5% higher than this year’s budget for these projects. The committee cleared the funds earmarked for 19 projects, but did not give its nod for four schemes due to overlapping of work.
It mainly objected to the setting up of various centres within the planning ministry for carrying out work that is the core responsibility of the ministry, which did not need special units.
Out of the 23 schemes, the cells and units will work on about a dozen as they have been tasked with monitoring of development projects, rural economy planning, urban planning, energy planning, transport planning and above all implementation of the much-trumpeted Vision 2025. All these are core functions of the planning ministry and the Planning Commission.
“Why do we need so many centres in the Planning Commission, which is resulting in a lot of confusion and duplication of work,” asked MNA Asma Mamdot of the PML-N.
She said the government was creating a system within a system, suggesting that the commission should itself be a centre of excellence.
The standing committee did not approve budgetary allocations for the Integrated Energy Planning and Management Unit, Integrated Transport Infrastructure Planning and Management Unit, National Initiative for Sustainable Development Goals and Support and Monitoring of High Impact New Initiatives of Vision 2025.
Ministry of Planning Adviser Asif Sheikh told the committee that Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal was also not satisfied with these four projects and allocations for them were not finalised. Interestingly, the minister had himself approved the schemes as chairman of the Central Development Working Party.
For the next fiscal year beginning July, the planning ministry has proposed Rs3 billion in funds for the National Endowment Scholarships for Talent. For the current year, it had earmarked Rs1 billion for the project, which it deposited in the bank as seed money.
Under the rules of business, education is the subject of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Higher Education Commission. Total cost of the project is Rs10 billion.
Sheikh said the government would start giving scholarships from September this year and each year 300 to 500 students would get the scholarship.
The committee objected to the linking of distribution of scholarships among provinces with the National Finance Commission formula. It recommended that scholarships should be given where the rate of illiteracy stood high.
Despite having a wing to monitor the projects, the Ministry of Planning is also running a Rs360 million worth of cell for the monitoring of PSDP schemes. For the next fiscal year, the ministry has proposed Rs35.8 million for the cell.
It also proposed Rs6 million for a Rs59 million special project cell. It will monitor project execution such as schemes pertaining to Afghanistan.
Instead of improving governance, the government has begun a project worth Rs962 million for reform and innovation in government for high performance to give away money to bureaucrats.
The project does not fall within the definition of development and for the next year, the planning ministry has proposed Rs200 million for it.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2016.