Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not taken time out to approve the civil services and governance reforms prepared by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms’.

Daily Times has learnt that the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform forwarded the summary of civil services and good governance reforms several months ago to the prime minister for approval but the PM did not pay any heed to these reforms. The Ministry has proposed to increase the salary and perks of civil servants. It is also proposed to enhance the criteria of Civil Superior Services (CSS) examination by mandating that a Masters degree be the minimum educational qualification. Currently, education eligibility is bachelors’ degree for CSS, increasing the upper age limit for the exams, modernisation of its curriculum according to contemporary needs, and autonomy of FPSC and PPSCs.

The proposals also include broadening the E-governance, changing the name of Establishment Division to Human Resource Division, pre-screening test for CSS, Model Police Station project, introducing performance-based rewards, allowing induction from private sector at higher salaries and removing guarantee of tenure. But the federal cabinet had approved only one suggestion from it by increasing upper age limit for CSS exams from 28 to 30 years and the summary lies pending on the PM’s Secretariat for approval.

It is worth mentioning here that the Prime Minister had earlier rejected a proposal to increase the CSS exam upper age limit and instructed relevant ministries to thoroughly examine the issue. Sources said that ministry requested the Prime Minister to give time for a briefing regarding the proposals and reforms. But the Ministry is awaiting a response from the Prime Minister’s office for several months.

Sources further said that the top bureaucracy, including those top officers working in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, are the main hurdle of these reforms. A few days back, MNA Captain (Retd) Safdar in its speech in Parliament House had shown no confidence in the government regarding bureaucratic matters.

Pakistan Muslim League in its Election Manifesto 2013 talked about the civil service reforms and said that it would promote a merit-based system at all levels. Harnessing new technologies for efficiency and effectiveness gains by deepening e-governance with a focus on leveraging Information & Communication Technology (ICT).

It is worth mentioning here that the Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms Ihsan Iqbal on various occasions stated that government was believe to bring reform to civil services but no practical effect has been made in this regard. When the Daily Times contacted to the Spokesperson of Planning Ministry Asim Niazi in order to inquire the above mentioned recommendations, he refrained from commenting.