Deadwood bureaucracy

It is a known secret that our desk and pen-pushers are of little utility. They consist of not only the gazette officers but also a battalion of clerks and other auxiliaries. A report from PIDE, a research think tank on economic affairs, was startling as it laid bare as to why and how our bureaucracy is eating away into vitals, and the poor nation is burdened to foot a staggering bill for little or no productivity. It is earth-shattering to learn that the federal government spends over Rs8 trillion on paying around two million employees, in terms of salaries and pensions, apart from an unending cash-stroll of perks and privileges. This tax-payers’ money, many believe, just goes down the drain as the outcome measured in service and satisfaction is too depressing. Lethargy, corruption and a plethora of excuses have kept it bogged down in inefficiency, directly impacting the performance of governmental utility.

The study titled ‘Life time Cost of Public Servants’ must act as a prelude in not only reforming the civil and military bureaucracies, but also its input scanned in terms of efficacy. Pakistan has one of the weakest and rotten revenue generation mechanisms, and corruption has sunk it to new lows. In such a scenario, doling out around eight trillion rupees of the hard-earned money on just maintaining the officialdom is no service to the nation. Whereas, a glance at the corporate and private sector suggests that their performance is worth-emulating, and many of the private sector employees despite missing yearly raise in salaries and other departmental perks, that governmental babus enjoy, are more on a sound-footing in deliverance. This derives a valuable point that the governmental machinery by virtue of job security and no check and balance on their performance criterion are tantamount to deadwood. Same is the case with official rank and file, as they are there to serve at the pleasure of their superiors, and not for quality service for the nation.

Pakistan’s bureaucratic structure demands stringent reforms, and cutting down on their strength is indispensable. A pay-mechanism on performance must be instituted, and not one on the mere basis of staying put like ducks.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2023.

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