Austerity for beginners

The profligacy of politicians across the land is a well-documented fact. Give an inch and they will take a mile. Anything can be converted into a perk or privilege, and most will seize every opportunity they can to spend somebody else’s money in pursuit of their own comfort or convenience. All that might be about to change at least in Punjab where the word ‘austerity’ is being introduced to the political lexicon, doubtless to the confusion indeed horror of politicians province-wide. Many will have had to resort to consulting the dictionary. Having done so they may need to lie down in a darkened room with a cold compress on their foreheads.

The Punjab government has banned foreign visits and treatment abroad being paid for by the state, and the ban extends to all ministers, members of the provincial assembly or government officials. As if that was not enough recruitment to vacant posts will be by the Chief Minister alone (no more jobs for the boys and girls) and there will be no more vehicles purchased using the ever-elastic and opaque development budgets.

Forgive us if we appear unduly cynical about this latest excursion into curbing the excesses of public servants and elected members; but this is no more likely to rein them in than the last time there was such a move, almost exactly a year ago on 19^th September 2016. Were that move successful there would have been no need for the latest crackdown, and it clearly was not. There is to be an Austerity Committee to hear ‘exceptional cases’ and we anticipate it is going to be very busy indeed. Laudable as it may be any austerity drive is only as effective as its compliance and oversight. Turkeys do not vote for Christmas. And who will be doing all this compliance monitoring — why none other than those rather smug well fed turkeys. No imminent changes expected.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2017.

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