National Executive Service in the making
The cabinet, which met on Tuesday last, discussed set of civil service and administrative restructuring reforms including the introduction of National Executive Service, appointment of dual nationals in the government and interim relief to officers of federal secretariat. Restructuring plan of the SBP, Securities and Exchange Commission, Auditor General of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance, FBR, Ministry of Planning and Development, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Competition Commission of Pakistan, CDA was also discussed in the meeting.
The cabinet was informed that the secretaries committee has been tasked to prepare report on the interim financial relief to be offered to officers of federal secretariat. The committee will also prepare recommendations for the cabinet approval on the issue of dual nationals’ appointment in the government.
In his presentation, Dr Ishrat Hussain also informed the cabinet that his task force is working with the law ministry for revision in the Rules and Business, and the Estacode- which govern the functioning of the federal government- for expeditious decision making.
The cabinet was also told that the proposals are also under discussions for induction and recruitment in the civil services, career progression, compensation and benefits, retirement and severance, internal accountability mechanism and the formation of National Executive Service. It was said that some of these proposals are pending with the Prime Minister’s Office while work on others will be completed by June this year.
The cabinet was told that the whole human resource value chain from induction and recruitment to retirement and severance is being completely reformed. The cabinet, it was said, has already approved reforms for training of civil servants including ex-cadre and non-cadre specialists to be organised by respective divisions; performance valuation systems based on objectives and key performance indicators; promotion policy; and appointment of technical advisers in the offices of ministers in 14 technical ministries.
In the area of e-governance, the cabinet was told that a roadmap has been prepared for e-office suite to be introduced by June 2020 in all federal ministries. Progress of restructuring of CDA was also presented while the Task Force also informed that report on reorganisation of Evacuee Property Trust Board will be submitted to the cabinet soon.
About the merger of federal ministries and divisions, it was said that Commerce and Textile Industry have been merged into one ministry while the Federal Ministry of Health has been reorganised to bring in more technical expertise. Ministry of Defence Production is also being restructured to make its organisation more commercially oriented.