ISLAMABAD:
The Cabinet Committee on Institutional Reforms on Friday recommended the elimination of 150,000 vacant positions, a ban on contingency recruitment, and the outsourcing of non-core services such as cleaning and janitorial work.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, focused on reducing the size of the public sector and curbing government expenses. These measures aim to gradually phase out many positions in grades 1 to 16.
The committee, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, presented its recommendations for right-sizing federal government departments. The finance ministry was tasked with overseeing the cash balances of other federal ministries.
The committee proposed the closure of 28 institutions across these five ministries, the transfer of the Privatisation Ministry and some other ministries to federal units, and the merger of 12 institutions within these ministries.
Additionally, it provided a detailed briefing on recommended reforms for five federal ministries: the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Industry and Production, and the Ministry of National Health Services.
One of the key proposals was the merger of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan with the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions.
During the meeting, the PM directed that these proposed reforms be approved by the federal cabinet and that a comprehensive implementation plan be presented. He emphasised that reducing government expenditure was his top priority.
PM Shehbaz reiterated that the goal of the government’s institutional reforms was to lessen the burden on the national treasury and improve the quality of public services.
He further directed that institutions failing to demonstrate adequate public service performance and burdening the national exchequer should either be terminated immediately or privatised without delay.
The PM also expressed his commitment to personally oversee the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, an organisation that supports small and medium enterprises, and directed that it be brought under the Prime Minister’s Office.
