Islamabad, 17 August 2024 (TDI): The Cabinet committee on Institutional Reforms has recommended for curtailing 150,000 vacant positions, banning contingency recruitment, and outsourcing non-core services like janitorial work, cleaning, which will gradually phase out many positions in grades 1 to 16.
In a meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, for reducing public sector size and expenses, a committee, chaired by the Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, presented its recommendations for right-sizing in the federal government departments.
The Ministry of Finance was directed to oversee the cash balances of other federal ministries.
The committee provided a briefing on recommended reforms for 5 federal ministries: the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions, the Ministry of Industry and Production, and the Ministry of National Health Services.
It recommended merging the Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan with the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions.
The proposal also involves closing twenty eight institutions across these 5 ministries, transferring the Ministry of Privatization and some other ministries to federal units, and merging twelve institutions within these ministries.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz asked the authorities concerned that these proposed reforms should be approved by the cabinet and that a detailed plan for their implementation be presented. He stressed that curtailing government expenditure was his top priority.
He said that the aim of the government’s institutional reforms was to reduce the burden on the national exchequer and enhance the services quality provided to the people.
Also Read More: Prime Minister Sharif discusses economic reforms with IMF Director
The PM ordered that the institutions failing to demonstrate adequate public service performance and burdening the national treasury should be either terminated immediately or privatized without delay.
He also pledged to personally oversee the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, an organization supporting small and medium enterprises, and ordered that SMEDA be brought under the PM Office.
