Administrative reform: Recommendations on rightsizing in 60 days
Commission to identify redundant posts and set goals for departments.
Punjab Assembly. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The provincial government has constituted a commission headed by a retired judge to make recommendations for rationalising, rightsizing and reorganising government departments and entities.
Justice (r) Amir Raza A Khan has been appointed the chairperson of the commission.
Its other members include the chief secretary, the Planning and Development Board chairman, the finance secretary, the services secretary, the regulations secretary, Zafar Iqbal Qureshi of Lahore University of Management Sciences, former education secretary Mehr Jeewan Khan, Ijaz Nabi of Lums, Ali Cheema and Aisha G Pasha.
The commission has been given 60 days to finalise its recommendations to make the public sector departments and bodies more efficient.
According to the terms of references, the commission would identify redundant activities, entities and posts in all public offices. It would finalise core activities of the departments, their organograms and set annual goals in quantifiable terms.
The commission would meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the chief secretary’s office where provincial secretaries would give presentations on their respective departments.
The presentations will include the departments’ objectives, functions according to rules of business, organograms, human resources, vacant posts, budget allocations (development and non-development), and reasons for retaining the strength as well as restructuring proposals.
During its previous term the government had appointed Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi the chairman of its Task Force on Strategic Management.
He was tasked with rightsizing the chief minister’s secretariat and had been asked to propose how to slash 50 per cent of staff.
However, his recommendations were rejected by the chief minister.
“This time the government has constituted a commission…for rightsizing government departments, field formations, autonomous bodies and companies to curtail current expenditures,” an official in the Punjab civil secretariat told The Express Tribune.
“The government established about two dozen companies during the last five years,” he added.
He recalled that the provincial government had announced an austerity policy during its last term calling for prudent financial management, observance of financial discipline and judicious reduction of expenditures.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2013.
The provincial government has constituted a commission headed by a retired judge to make recommendations for rationalising, rightsizing and reorganising government departments and entities.
Justice (r) Amir Raza A Khan has been appointed the chairperson of the commission.
Its other members include the chief secretary, the Planning and Development Board chairman, the finance secretary, the services secretary, the regulations secretary, Zafar Iqbal Qureshi of Lahore University of Management Sciences, former education secretary Mehr Jeewan Khan, Ijaz Nabi of Lums, Ali Cheema and Aisha G Pasha.
The commission has been given 60 days to finalise its recommendations to make the public sector departments and bodies more efficient.
According to the terms of references, the commission would identify redundant activities, entities and posts in all public offices. It would finalise core activities of the departments, their organograms and set annual goals in quantifiable terms.
The commission would meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the chief secretary’s office where provincial secretaries would give presentations on their respective departments.
The presentations will include the departments’ objectives, functions according to rules of business, organograms, human resources, vacant posts, budget allocations (development and non-development), and reasons for retaining the strength as well as restructuring proposals.
During its previous term the government had appointed Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi the chairman of its Task Force on Strategic Management.
He was tasked with rightsizing the chief minister’s secretariat and had been asked to propose how to slash 50 per cent of staff.
However, his recommendations were rejected by the chief minister.
“This time the government has constituted a commission…for rightsizing government departments, field formations, autonomous bodies and companies to curtail current expenditures,” an official in the Punjab civil secretariat told The Express Tribune.
“The government established about two dozen companies during the last five years,” he added.
He recalled that the provincial government had announced an austerity policy during its last term calling for prudent financial management, observance of financial discipline and judicious reduction of expenditures.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2013.