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8 ministries, 7 divisions may be abolished

T A MALIK

ISLAMABAD: The government is considering a proposal to abolish eight federal ministries and seven divisions, in its ongoing rightsizing exercise.

A proposal is also being considered to set up ministry of trade and industry and energy and natural resources, sources told Business Recorder on Monday.

Sources said that ministry of trade and industry would be established by merging ministries of industries and production and commerce. Ministry of energy and natural resources by water and power and petroleum and natural resources.

Ministries of railways, industries and production, culture sports tourism and youth affairs, population welfare, housing and works, science and technology, women development, social welfare and special education is likely to be abolished and their staff will be sent to the surplus pool.

The committee on rightsizing has proposed transfer of statistics division to planning ministry, population welfare division to ministry of health, housing and works to ministry of environment, water and power ministry to ministry of energy and natural resources, industries and production to ministry of trade and industry.

Sources said that the government can create more jobs by providing a healthy economic policy to the private sector and small administration can be more efficient and well paid besides offering a remedy for corruption.

The committee observed that 1,058 affiliated departments of the ministries, generally quoted as actual, were a reflection of the systems of budget keeping. After accounting for office branches, the figure reduced to 422.

The committee noted that many departments have outlived their utility and are still due to the working loopholes in the system, others were created on the basis of dubious justification and were not really required, and some other were largely designed for expanding employment which the government now cannot sustain in the public sector.

Sources said the recommendations of the committee will reduce the excess staff in these departments to 58,000, equivalent to 15 percent of the present employment while the wage bill by Rs 4,500 million.

Sources said that these steps are consistent with the design of an efficient government.