Civil reform: ‘Equitable distribution vital for social welfare’

Minister says progress not possible without civil services reforms.

LAHORE: Pakistan will have to increase its exports to $150 billion by 2025 if economic growth is to be sustained, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday.

He was addressing a conference on Public Sector and Civil Services Reforms.

“Progress is not possible without revamping the public sector and introducing civil services reforms,” he said.

The minister said no reforms could be successful unless they were based on equitable distribution of resources. He said public sector workers were currently earning twice as much as private sector workers.

“Yet, students at private schools show better results than those at public schools,” he said.  “This is a big challenge. Our administrative structure in education and health needs an overhaul.”

He urged civil servants to help the government deal with various challenges, saying they were the heart and soul of the state. He asked them to submit suggestions for the reforms programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2015.