PM rewards top performing ministers

Imran asks ministers to keep national interest foremost

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday asked ministries to keep national interest first and foremost, and work on “out-of-the-box” solutions to deliver the most, as he rewarded top performing ministries and divisions with appreciation certificates.

Addressing the certificate awarding ceremony, the prime minister underlined the importance of resolving public issues through effective policy-making and good governance. He termed exports, import substitution and poverty alleviation significant areas of national interest.

The prime minister said that no system could function effectively without the concept of reward and punishment. “This is a great opportunity to encourage ministries to improve their performance for the benefit of the people,” he said.

He suggested that weightage should be given to the ministries that kept the country’s national interest above everything. “Increasing exports, finding import substitution and poverty alleviation are the significant areas of national interest,” he added.

Imran mentioned that reforms had been introduced regarding the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that allowed bureaucrats to take initiatives. He added that quarterly review of the performance of ministries was a step towards developing a sense of competition and to give the best.

Later, the prime minister awarded certificates to the heads of top-10 ministries and divisions on good performance and achieving targets. Imran congratulated Communications Minister Murad Saeed for achieving the top position, saying that the youngest member of his cabinet had performed well.

In order of performance, the top ministries are communications; planning and development; poverty alleviation and social safety division; education and professional training; human rights, industries and production; national security division; commerce; interior, and national food security and research.

Earlier, in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of good governance, the performance agreements were signed between the Prime Minister’s Office and the federal ministries and divisions to achieve their respective targets.

Read: Transforming governance through Performance Agreements

In view of the performance agreements, the average performance of all federal ministries and divisions reached 79%, sources said, adding that the government had decides to continue check on performance of ministries and divisions with a view to increasing their efficiency to 100%. In the first performance agreements 2020-21, the average performance of the ministries and divisions was 49%. In the July-September 2021 quarter, the average performance rose to 62%, while in the October-December 2021 quarter, the average performance rose further to 79%, the sources added.

The government had set a total of 1,090 targets for federal ministries and divisions for two years, out of which 426 targets were to be achieved by June this year. The remaining targets would be achieved in next financial year 2022-23, the sources said.

On the other hand, some on the government benches vent their displeasure at the award of certificates. Among them was Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Muhammad Khan, who told a National Assembly committee that those ministers, who had not fulfilled their responsibilities had been rewarded. The minister and others started complaining during the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances. Khan said that some ministers disassociated themselves from these assurances in the house yet they got the award.

“The ministers who do not fulfil their responsibilities, do not appear in the relevant standing committees meetings, are entitled to the award,” he said. “I support the summoning of the relevant ministers and secretaries as per the agenda of the committees,” he added.