ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged top bureaucracy to do away with the attitude of archaic red tapism and work on simplifying processes, with the assertion that not all Federal Secretaries are competent, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
He made these remarks while addressing the Federal Cabinet on March 30, 2024, wherein different issues came under discussion.
Focusing on governance, the Prime Minister outlined the Government’s five years national agenda, highlighting the national priorities and vision for development. He said that Pakistan’s economy could be put on a path of sustained development through effective interventions in strategic sectors such as information technology, power, petroleum, minerals, defence, export-oriented manufacturing, trade, commerce and agriculture etc. over the next five years.
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He emphasised that all Ministries needed to define clear targets and objectives for 100 days, three months, annual, and five year, timeframes.
The Prime Minister said that guidelines had already been circulated to all Ministries providing broad parameters for their guidance. Each Ministry was required to work towards achieving its set of targets, to prepare its strategies, and to identify and mobilize resources, including human resource, to effectively implement its action plans and achieve its targets.
He added that each Ministry would be responsible for its performance and achieving its set of targets, for which it shall have authority, but not without responsibility and accountability.
Annoyed with red tapism, Prime Minister urged civil servants to do away with the attitude of archaic red tapism and to work on simplifying the processes. He applauded the role of SIFC in this regard, which he said provided a robust mechanism to effectively address unjustifiable hurdles in implementation and to facilitate the ease of doing business.
The Prime Minister also observed that there was too much paperwork driven processes in the Ministries and that out of the box problem solution was only marginal. He emphasised the need to develop mechanism that encouraged creative thinking to achieve targets as well as new tools and new strategies focused on outcomes. Automation across all government departments was also stressed.
PM Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the role of proactive Secretaries heading various Divisions for their depth of sector-specific knowledge and professional calibre, but said that not all Secretaries were equally competent. He said that high performers would be rewarded while the under performers would be answerable for their inefficiency.
“Incentives would be provided to high performers as was done during my tenure as the Chief Minister of Punjab in 2008 when 100 percent raise was provided in the salaries of Police and Law Officers,” the sources quoted Prime Minister as saying. He further stated that this was the minimum economic protection that could be provided to government functionaries.
Prime Minister informed the Cabinet that efforts were also underway to reduce Federal Government expenditure and the Committee constituted to give recommendations on reducing Federal Government expenditure, headed by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, would present a practical plan on expenditure reduction to the Cabinet.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024