Nawaz urged the cabinet members to work for decreasing state expenditures and ensure public service. . PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
Nawaz urged the cabinet members to work for decreasing state expenditures and ensure public service. He said that each public servant should be bound for ensuring punctuality in office. He also urged the ministers to put an end to the culture of lethargy and reinvigorate all the systems by setting aside personal whims and wishes and concentrating on national interests.
As a means of accountability, the prime minister issued a warning to his federal ministers, telling them that their performance will be evaluated every three months
“I shall review your performance and I would not like to fail, I advise the cabinet members to study the Party’s manifesto and we have to reduce all non development expenditure by at least thirty percent or even more than half.”
Nawaz also ordered the immediate cancelation of a tender earlier issued by Capital Development Authority (CDA), during the previous government’s tenure, for beautification of roads leading to the Prime Minister’s House.
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@GS@Y: The 'expenditures' being referred to here are not development funds, but rather the money spent on running the ministries, which have been shown to be unnecessarily large and always ripe for rampant corruption and inefficient expenditure.
Ministers need to be responsible with how they run their ministries.
I agree with you though. Austerity can definitely hurt a country that is as weak as Pakistan is now. But targeted austerity is what we require. We need to trim the fat, grease the wheels that still turn, and spend money on high priority projects.
And while we need to keep the long term measures in mind, we shouldn't lose sight of that famous (and oft misinterpreted) adage once written by Keynes: "In the long run we are all dead." So best to keep our eye on the short term goals as well, because weak short term policy endangers the ability to effect long term strategy.
@Majid: Nawaz Sharif – Jinnah of our time!
In 1990s, he was amir-ul-momineen of our time. Is this a new hoax?
Perfectly said by nawaz if we ourself cut our private expenses then there will be a hope for better economy and the other thing he said to ministers about the checking of their work after every three months is much appreciated.
It was only yesterday or the day before that, I read a tender notice by CDA for the beautification of PM house and surroundings...
Is austerity the right policy though at a time when the economy is already so depressed? Such a severe cutback in fiscal spending could decrease overall demand in the economy and result in more job losses. The government needs to have a more thought-through economic vision than just conventional wisdom like "chaadar dekh k paaoun phailao".
@Kamran Paaracha: How? Do you care to elucidate. I thought reduced Govt expenditure means less money for corruption. This was a PPP specialty. That's why they are always on the run when they leave office.
Man, how can you pay your supporters if you cut expenditure? People didn't give you money to spend on your election campaign just for fun. They expect you to pass their tenders, give them jobs, and dole out other expensive favours.
Nawaz Sharif - Jinnah of our time!