150,000 government jobs cut proposed

Cabinet panel works out plan to right-size five ministries

ISLAMABAD:

The cabinet committee on institutional reforms on Friday recommended curtailing 150,000 vacant positions, banning contingency recruitment, and outsourcing non-core services like cleaning, janitorial work, which will gradually phase out many positions in grades 1 to 16.

In a meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for reducing public sector size and expenses, the committee, headed by the finance minister, presented its recommendations for right-sizing in the federal government departments. The Ministry of Finance was asked to oversee the cash balances of other federal ministries.

The committee provided a detailed briefing on recommended reforms for five federal ministries – the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Industry and Production and the Ministry of National Health Services.

The committee proposed merging the Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan with the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON). The proposal involves closing 28 institutions across five ministries, transferring the privatisation ministry and some other ministries to federal units, and merging 12 institutions within these ministries.

Gemstones exports

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to carry out reforms in the gemstones sector to promote the industry and enhance its exports.

The prime minister, chairing a meeting to discuss matters pertaining to reforms in the gemstones sector, said that he would personally head the steering committee to promote the industry.

He tasked Privatisation Minister Abdul Aleem Khan to ensure the implementation of reforms.

He said the government would launch a project in Gilgit-Baltistan to elevate the standards of mining, chiseling and value addition of gemstones, assuring the federal government's support to G-B government in this regard.

In the briefing, it was told that a total of 178 licences had so far been issued for mining of gemstones.

It was told that 80 percent of Pakistan's gemstone exports consisted of raw materials and the promotion of the industry would help boost country's exports and create jobs.

The PM also called for a comprehensive action plan for the skill training of Pakistani manpower in modern mining, polishing, chiseling and value addition.

The meeting was told that GB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir had huge reserves of gemstones but conventional methods were being used there causing the wastage of the asset.

It was told that raw material was mostly smuggled and exported from other countries after value addition. Despite huge reserves, Pakistan's gemstone exports stood at a few million dollars.