Islamabad:
In a major shaking, the government seeks dynamic talent in the private sector to rebuild key ministries inviting experts to lead federal secretaries’ positions in financial affairs, finance and energy, signaling a significant shift beyond traditional bureaucracy.
The government has issued advertising this weekend to hire seven “dynamic” private sectors for positions as federal secretaries. However, the ad did not name the divisions, the qualification criteria and the job descriptions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also put together a ministerial committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, to end new nominees for the appointment of class 22 bureaucrats as directors to the World Bank in Washington and the Asian Development Bank in Manila.
The government has invited applications from “dynamic and experienced professionals to the role of the most important accounting officers (PAOS), technical advisers, heads of organizations in key economic areas,” the ad indicates. A two -week deadline is given to submit the applications.
The advertisement, published on the establishment department site, did not name the divisions, the qualification criteria and the job descriptions. However, it suggested that the government is set to hire seven federal secretaries from the private sector to operate the financial -related ministries.
This is the Finance Department, Petroleum Department, Power Division, Planning Department, Industries and Production Department, National Food Safety Department and Vocational Education and Education. These departments are currently led by officers from the powerful Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).
Currently, IMDAD is Ullah Bosal Financial Secretary, Momin Agha, Petroleum Secretary, Fakhre Alam Irfan, Power Secretary, Awais Manzur Sumra, Planning Saif Anjum, Industrial Secretary and Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry serves as the national food security secretary.
When contacted, financial affairs and establishment minister Ahad Khan Cheema said no specific positions had yet been completed, adding that the government wanted to build a pool of specialists for key positions, especially in economic ministries.
Pakistan’s economic ministries are mostly driven by officers from passports, and there has been criticism that many of them do not have the necessary experience to understand the complexity of financial affairs.
To tackle this weak government issue that presumably blocked foreign investment, the military and civilian management created Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). SIFC was also now transformed into a department like any other department.
There is also a perception that a person in the private sector without the public sector experience cannot effectively lead these ministries. The nature of the work is such that the secretaries sometimes have to lobby with the Prime Minister to get the decisions made, especially in cases where the relevant ministers are not very effective.
Another challenge that the bureaucrats face is that their ministers sometimes lack understanding or the courage to make the right decisions. The federal secretaries are often seen filling the shoes of the federal ministers. Sometimes the bureaucrats are also not supported by the Prime Minister’s office (PMO).
The government recently changed the education secretary despite his phenomenal work in public sector education.
“A bad workman violates his tools,” said Fawad Hasan Fawad, former secretary of the Prime Minister and former privacy minister, while commenting on the advertisement of hiring federal secretaries. “This will not work,” he added.
“Financing the public sector is another horse that cannot be driven by those who do not understand the restrictions of the public sector and the overriding responsibility for managing cash flows in a permanent deficit economy running on Dole Outs and begging bowls,” commented Fawad.
A year ago, the government had hired the information technology secretary from the private sector. The government has not yet released any performance report on the work sector to determine whether the experience remained successful or not.
The government plans to sign the “performance -based contracts” with the chosen individuals for two years. The ad stated that the nature and compensation of the selected person will be determined in accordance with the government’s rules and in line with market competitive rates, including applicable quotas and privileges for the position.
Candidates must have at least 20 years relevant after qualifying experience, and the maximum age limit is 60 years at the time of appointment, which may be relaxed in extraordinary cases in accordance with the order of the competent authority, according to the establishment department.
The website of the establishment department shows that the government has called on applications to hire a PAO for the financial sector. The candidate must have experience “in public funding, economic policy, fiscal management or related sectors and” proven experience in managing large budgets, tax policy, debt management and confidentiality financial sector for regulation “.
The candidate must have proven the ability to lead budget preparation, tax reform initiatives and reforms of public spending. The experience requirement clearly indicates that the government wants to hire the financial secretary.
Similarly, the candidate for the petroleum sector must have experience in oil, energy, mining or public administration sector and proven confidentiality with upstream and or downstream petroleum operations, legislative framework, mining sector’s supervision or the energy sector’s political wording.
For the electricity sector, the candidate must have experience in the electricity sector, energy management or public administration and proven experience in supervising power production, transmission, distribution and regulatory framework.
For the planning and development sector, the candidate must have experience in development planning, public sector reform, infrastructure coordination, economic policy or large-scale project management.
For industry, at least 20 years of experience in industrial development, public administration, production sector management, investment promotion or financial planning and for food security, the experience of agricultural policy, food security, rural development or public administration sought by the government.
Selection to Washington
The Prime Minister also constituted a ministerial committee to consider the appropriate and eligible officers in BS-22 for nomination against positions for the CEO of the World Bank and the CEO of ADB, according to a notification.
These positions became unemployed by Pakistan’s CEO of the World Bank Dr. Tauqir Shah became adviser to the prime minister, while the term of office of the current CEO of ADB Noor Ahmad expired last week. Ahmad has been asked to continue until the filing of his attitude.
Some retired bureaucrats were also in the race, which has now been excluded from the selection process. Among the top challengers are Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal, said financial affairs, dr. Kazim Niaz and domestic secretary Khurram Agha, the sources.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq DAR is chairman of the Ministerial Committee, which includes financial affairs and Minister of Establishment Ahad Cheema, Minister of Climate Change, dr. Musadiq Malik and Prime Minister for Funding Bilal Kayani.
The committee will consider suitable and eligible officers in BS-22 who have relevant work experience and skill sets. The appropriate and eligible officers will have a skills set of political analysis and decision-making, management, collaboration, knowledge of operating multilateral financial institutions, excellent communication and diplomatic skills and social networking.
The committee will send its nomination of appropriate officers to both positions to the Prime Minister for his treatment and approval, according to the announcement.
