Progress towards meritocracy

The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin, while addressing a virtual meeting of the Pay and Pension Commission early this week, said: “ The current model for pay and pension provision of public servants is not sustainable and there is need to rationalise the salaries, allowances, perks, etc., on the basis of performance and quality of work”. The necessity or importance of meritocracy in public service or bureaucracy, which is the administrative heart and soul of government, has been consistently highlighted by the leadership of the incumbent government. Piqued by bureaucracy’s lack of commitment, prime minister Imran Khan has often spoken his mind over this subject. Dr Ishrat Hussain, in his three-year tenure as Advisor to the Prime Minister, devoted most of his time on preparing the civil service reforms. His work was made public shortly before he quit the government.

Tarin in his address said the performance of the employees can be assessed on the basis of setting targets and the KPIs (key performance indicators). Moreover, best performers are required to be compensated with rewards. According to him, there’s a need to work out ranges for linking compensation with performance to ensure meritocracy in the recruitment and improved service delivery in the public sector.

The multiple civil service reforms structured by Dr Ishrat Hussain also rotate around similar thoughts of meritocracy in civil service viz Civil Servants Promotion (BS-18 to BS-21) Rules, 2019; the Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020; the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, 2020; the Revised MP Scale Policy, 2020; the Rotation Policy, 2020; and rationalisation of cadre strength, etc. How much of these reforms have been implemented is not in public knowledge. The perception is that it is business as usual in the civil service of the country.

This is not surprising if one comprehends the executive power entrusted by the state constitution to the bureaucracy of the country. The political leadership, in spite of having been elected to govern the state through the will of people, have to remain in line if the bureaucrats so desire. Meritocracy is often set aside and the political party that is voted into power brings around it civil servants on the basis of their political loyalty and their subservience to the dictates of political leadership with win-win cooperation between the two. Critical features of this service such as annual confidential report (ACR), integrity of the officer and his or her loyalty to state do not matter much.

An overhaul is long overdue to rejuvenate the bureaucracy. A dramatic change in the constitution through an act of parliament is needed to help implement reforms. The present system is no longer functional. The executive powers, accountability and responsibilities of the elected public office holders, bureaucrats/executives and judiciary need to be realigned and equitably distributed among the three for a functional and efficient government. In most of the developing countries the private sector has also been integrated into state affairs; notably, in the energy sector, transportation, health services and other businesses, social and infrastructure development and management.

(The writer is a former President, Overseas Investors Chambers of Commerce and Industry)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021