Daily Times

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail Monday said that the local bodies provide greater freedoms and flexibilities at a local level, meaning local bodies can work more effectively to improve public services for their area.

He said that devolution of power is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.

Imran Ismail expressed these views while talking to delegation of probationary officers (48th STP) of Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service at Governor’s House here, said a statement. Rector Pakistan Audit and Accounts Academy, Noumana Gulrukh Fareed; DG Audit Sindh, Nazar Muhammad Ranjha; Director Sindh Pakistan Audit and Accounts Academy, Abid Hussain Burki and Director Probationers, Ikramul Haq were also present on the occasion. The governor stressed on the need for true professionalism and development of skills through training to encourage officers to build upon their knowledge and expertise; and contribute more effectively in governance and public sector financial management.

“Civil servants need new attitudes of citizen-focused service delivery and management techniques to create more service-oriented bureaucratic practices. Strengthening the technical competencies of the public administration through modernization and technology diffusion is necessary for improving the quality of service delivery and to turn the public sector into a growth driver”, he added. He underlined the need of concerted efforts to improve revenue collection, especially through stronger enforcement of tax policy, to be able to expand the state’s ability to finance its programs.

He said that the present government has taken several immediate steps to arrest economic decline and stagnation. These include measures to reduce non-productive expenditure and raise revenues, the announcement of an energy policy, resolution of the circular debt issue, rationalization of subsidies, and introduction of incentives for the private sector.

“These steps have helped in stabilizing the macroeconomic environment of the country, which is evident from growing foreign exchange reserves, robustness in the stock market and growing economic engagement of private sector in the development process,” he observed. The governor also highlighted significance of Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP) under which Greenline BRT project and procurement of 52 fire tenders for the city have already been completed. He also spelled out key features of Kamyab Jawan Program, Ehsas Program, Sehat Sahulat Card, Ration Card facility with 30 percent concessional rates on basic kitchen items. “These programs have been initiated to improve life of a common man but unfortunately government of Sindh is not starting significant programs like Sehat Sahulat Card and Ration Card for the welfare of the people of the province”, he maintained.