Pakistan’s Federal Government’s Rightsizing Initiative

ISLAMABAD, JAN 7 /DNA/ – The Federal Government of Pakistan has embarked on a bold and transformative rightsizing initiative to streamline its operations, eliminate redundancies, and reallocate resources for better public service delivery. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister and supervision of the Finance Minister, a High-Powered Committee was established on June 21, 2024, which reflects the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, operational efficiency, and citizen-centric governance. The recommendations of the Committee are based on the merit and needs of the Departments and positions.

Key Objectives of the Rightsizing Initiative

1. Optimizing Government Functions:
   ○ Identify functions that can be outsourced or privatized while maintaining public benefit.
   ○ Eliminate overlaps and duplication, particularly in post-devolution areas with provinces.
   ○ Enhance value for public spending through efficiency reforms, including digitization.
2. Comprehensive Review of Federal Entities:
   ○ The scope includes 43 ministries/divisions and nearly 400 attached entities.
   ○ Assess each function’s relevance, impact, and potential for public-private partnerships.
3. Strategic Phased Implementation:
   ○ Divide the initiative into structured waves to minimize disruption:
    Wave I: Six ministries are under implementation, including;
4. Ministry of Kashmir Affairs + GB
5. SAFRON
6. Ministry of IT & Telecom
7. Ministry of Industries & Production
8. Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination and CADD
    Wave II: Five ministries are under implementation, including;
9. Ministry of Science & Technology
10. Commerce Division
11. Housing & Works
12. National Food Security & Research
     Wave III: Currently under review, covering;
13. Federal Education and Professional Training
14. Information & Broadcasting
15. Heritage
16. Finance Division
17. Power Division

All Waves include 43 Ministries, analysis and implementation plan of which to be concluded during the course of this fiscal year

2. Financial Consolidation:
   ○ Recommendations address the Federal Government expenditure (PKR 876 billion).

Key Decisions and Outcomes

1. Streamlined Government Structure:
   ○ Over 150,000 vacant posts (60%) will be abolished or declared redundant.
   ○ Contingency roles and lower-grade positions will be significantly reduced.
   ○ Non-core services like cleaning, plumbing, and gardening will be outsourced.
2. Ministry-Specific Outcomes:

Entities to be reduced from 80 to 40 as following:
○ Kashmir Affairs, SAFRON merged, CADD abolished: from 8 entities to 4
○ IT & Telecom: from 11 to 10
○ Industries & Production: from 31 to 6
○ National Health Services: from 30 to 20

3. Enhanced Service Delivery:
   ○ Citizens will benefit from faster, more efficient services enabled by digitization and improved governance structures.
4. Regulatory Reforms:
   o Proposed amendments to the Civil Servants Act to align governance practices with modern needs.

Regular updates will keep citizens and stakeholders informed, ensuring transparency and accountability. This initiative sets a new standard for responsible governance and paves the way for a leaner, more responsive public sector aligned with the nation’s development goals.