Aim to cut government size, expenses: Punjab Commerce, Investment Department to be merged with Punjab Industries

The Punjab government has decided to merge Punjab Commerce and Investment Department with the Punjab Industries Department, which is the first step of merging several provincial departments with the aim of reducing government size and expenses.
It is also thinking of creating a new provincial energy department, which will focus on generation of hydel electricity. Sources in Punjab Civil Secretariat told Business Recorder here on Saturday. According to them, the merging exercise has been in the process for some time and various departments came under discussion.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given the approval of merging the Commerce and Investment Department with the Punjab Industries Department. Functions of both departments overlapped and it was also noted in future, the workload of Punjab Industries Department will decrease, and thus it was logical to merge to the two departments.
They also disclosed that abolishment of Punjab Information Department is also very much on the cards, and its functions and authority will be transferred to Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). They said the Board was already performing the functions of the IT department and its chairman was enjoying the power of an ex-officio secretary. "Hence, the government felt that there was no purpose to have a whole secretariat for information technology, which is being dealt by an autonomous body," they added.
According to sources, at present other departments that are under consideration are Punjab Inter Provincial Co-ordination Department (IPC) and Punjab Tourism Department. The IPC department has no function and its only workload is arranging annual Council of Common Interests meeting. Since historically most its work handled by the Punjab Implementation and Co-ordination Department, it is logical that the IPC department should be abolished. As for the tourism department, it will be merged with the Punjab Forest Department.
They disclosed that the provincial government also intending to create an independent energy department, which will focus on generation of hydel electricity. They said after the 18th Amendment, the provinces have been permitted to generate electricity, which will demand a pool if experts to deal with the situation. Thus, the energy wing will be separated from the Punjab Irrigation and Power Department and will be made an independent department, they added. Sources were of the view that the purpose of such exercise is to rationalise provincial departments and reduce government expenses and remove duplication of functions.