PTI govt okays plan to reduce govt departments

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved a committee’s recommendation that the postal services division be merged with the communications ministry and the textile division with the commerce ministry.

The implementation committee for restructuring government departments has recommended merging 19 sub-bodies of seven ministries. It also proposed transferring nine subordinate departments of five ministries to other ministries and abolishing five departments of three ministries.

The cabinet has approved all of the committee's recommendations.
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, the committee submitted its report to the cabinet in October.

The committee convened six meetings in two months, which discussed the integration, transfer and termination of various federal government entities.

The committee forwarded its proposals to different ministries and divisions and secretaries. Representatives from different ministries were invited to present their views. The committee consulted with representatives of various departments, the Prime Minister's Office and the ministries' sub-bodies and autonomous bodies, and all of them agreed with the recommendations.

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The committee directed some of the ministries to submit their reports after further consultation. According to a summary, the relevant ministries will decide about the changes in the rules of business.

In October, Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain informed a Senate committee that restructuring of federal government was in progress and functional and legal classification of 441 institutions had been conducted.

He told the committee that according to the findings of a survey only 342 institutions would remain with the federal government, while the rest would be merged or shut down. The body was informed that eight institutions of federal government would be shut down.

However, there would be no job cuts and the employees would be accommodated in other departments.