A file photo of the Senate. PHOTO: FILE
The minister, who represents the government in nearly a dozen departments on behalf of the prime minister, described as ‘lethargic’ the bureaucracy’s approach to governance. His remarks came during a Senate standing committee meeting on Friday.
“I seriously feel that a complete lethargy is there among the bureaucracy while discharging their duties in many government departments,” Ahmed told the Senate standing committee on communication and postal services.
“Last year, I interacted with officials of many ministries, divisions and departments, including PIA, Civil Aviation Authority, cabinet division, capital administration and development division, ministry of communication, and postal services but I am disappointed with the performance of these government servants,” Ahmed told the committee.
However, he said, the PML-N government has its own blueprint for development in the country and will forge ahead with implementing it despite the departments’ approach.
Earlier, the committee expressed concern over the performance of the Pakistan Postal Service, saying the department has failed to update itself or innovate according to the requirements.
An official from the postal service told the committee that a number of services have been computerised, such as the placement of money orders, military and pension payment online. However, the official added that the organisation is unable to implement these projects and has outsourced them to private firms.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha commented that the postal service is unable to handle such online services if the outsourced firm were to abandon the project at any point. “This shows the inefficiency of the country’s largest communication organisation which was once the greatest trustworthy source to deliver money and posts,” Agha said. “There must be an effective IT department to carry out the postal service’s online projects rather than outsourcing them to outsiders.”
The head of the committee Senator Dawood Khan Achakzai asked, “Who is responsible for the financial and technical loss of the organisation if these firms abandon the services at any stage?”
The chairman asked postal service officials to provide a comprehensive briefing at the committee’s next meeting regarding an alternative mechanism for these online projects.
The committee was also dissatisfied to learn that the postal service receives Rs62.3 million in rent annually from 20 buildings in major commercial cities and no mechanism exists to increase the rent of these buildings.
Achakzai also asked the officials to provide full details of the assets and properties of the postal service and their status with complete details of the rented buildings and the parties to whom they have been rented to for years.
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