Pakistan’s Planning Ministry Set for Major Reforms
Islamabad: An important meeting regarding “institutional reforms” in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Professor Ahsan Iqbal.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of Planning, members of the Planning Commission, Dr. Nadeem Javed, Chairman Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, and senior officers of the Ministry of Planning.
Addressing the meeting, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that it is the need of the hour to make the Ministry of Planning a functional institution compatible with the requirements of the modern era where decision-making is based on merit and performance.
He said that the Planning Commission needs high-quality heads of technical departments like Dr. Mehboob-ul-Haq and Sartaj Aziz who can provide intellectual leadership to their respective departments in national policy-making.
The Federal Minister directed that the promotion of officers within the ministry should be done purely based on performance and education. Furthermore, a committee of experts should be formed to review the performance and qualifications of all section chiefs and those who do not meet the required standards should be sent to alternative positions.
He said that the best talent from the country and abroad will be gathered in the Planning Commission as the Planning Commission has to plan the future of the country.
He said that Pakistani students studying in the best universities in the world will be provided with internship programs during the summer vacations. He directed to accelerate the process of digitalization in the ministry.
The meeting considered a proposal to merge the technical departments of the Ministry of Planning, IT Wing and Projects Wing under a unified “Technical Planner Group”, which aims to make the performance of the ministry more effective.
Under this group, all recruitments of Grade 17 will be made through the Federal Public Service Commission on open competition to ensure transparency and merit-based appointments.
Furthermore, consideration was given to facilitating horizontal and vertical movement for the promotion and transfer of officers, to enhance efficiency, and to provide more opportunities to officers.
Along with this, it was proposed to introduce a two-month induction course at the Pakistan Planning and Management Institute, after which a final passing-out exam would be conducted, to test the professional skills of the officers.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, while issuing clear instructions to the officers of the ministry, said that if we have to implement our promises, we have to increase our efficiency and speed by 200 percent.
He said that there is zero tolerance for laziness, laziness, incompetence and corruption. He added that the Ministry of Planning will focus on digital transformation, capacity building, public-private partnership, alignment with global standards, and data-driven decision-making.
The Federal Minister said that it is necessary to adapt the Ministry of Planning as a modern and high-performance organization according to the requirements of the 21st century.
He said that Pakistan has all the potential for development, all that is needed is to work tirelessly and work in the right direction.
At the end of the meeting, the Federal Minister expressed his determination that it is imperative to align the Ministry of Planning with the requirements of the new era so that it can play an effective role in national development.
He said that the ministry must adopt a modern approach to stabilize the country’s economy and meet future challenges.
All officers were instructed to make efficiency, hard work, and transparency their motto so that the future of Pakistan can be made brighter and more stable.
