Ahsan Iqbal Emphasizes Need Of Professional Officers, Technocrats To Achieve Government's Objectives

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday said that that there was an urgent need for skilled and professional officers and technocrats to achieve the fundamental objectives of the government

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday said that that there was an urgent need for skilled and professional officers and technocrats to achieve the fundamental objectives of the government.

He stated this while presiding over a high-level meeting to discuss the role and reforms of the Planning Commission with a committee formed on the instructions of the prime minister , said a press release issued here.

During the meeting, important aspects of economic reforms and capacity building necessary for sustainable development of Pakistan were reviewed.

Federal Minister for Power and Water Resources, Mossadeq Malik, MNA Ali Pervez Malik, Planning Secretary, Cabinet Secretary and senior officials of the Ministry of Planning participated in the meeting.

Ahsan Iqbal reiterated the importance of capacity building within line ministries to ensure the efficient preparation of project proposals (PC-Is), thereby enabling the Planning Ministry to focus on strategic planning and thought leadership.

The minister emphasized that over the past 16 months, sector specialists from the market had been recruited within the Planning Ministry to strengthen the technical capabilities across diverse sectors and accelerate project completion.

He emphasized that over the past 16 months, the sector specialists from the market had been recruited within the ministry to strengthen the technical capabilities across diverse sectors and accelerate project completion.

Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged the effective functioning of the operational and technical sections within the ministry.

However, he emphasized the need to attract top talent from the market to enhance thought leadership within the ministry.

To achieve this, the minister signified the importance of revised remuneration, adding “We have to revise our pay scales to attract people with professional skills and experience from the market.

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Reflecting the past achievements, Ahsan Iqbal cited the successful formulation and implementation of Vision 2025 during 2013-18.

In addition, the Planning Ministry has the credit of achieving substantial savings amounting to Rs 700 billion from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) over five years from 2013 to 2018. This accomplishment was made possible through rigorous scrutiny of PSDP projects and careful financial management.

Addressing the allocation of funds, the minister stressed the necessity of establishing clear benchmarks for PSDP financing in light of the devolution of powers to provinces post-18th amendment to enable informed decision-making by the federal government and reduce burden on PSDP.

While deliberating on suggestions to improve the efficiency of Planning Commission, he expressed that during 2013 to 2018, the same ministry and Planning Commission achieved all goals with great success despite having limited resources.

“Vision 2025 was also put forth by the Planning Commission. There is no doubt that the role of the Ministry of Planning is commendable.” he said, adding that after the 18th amendment, following the transfer of powers to all the provinces, a clear policy regarding PSDP financing could not be given till date.

The committee officials agreed that the present structure of the Planning Commission predated the 18th Amendment.

The meeting concluded with the decision that actionable steps addressing each existing challenge would be taken to re-examine the structure of Planning Commission and make necessary reforms.

Looking ahead, Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the trans-formative potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the need for adaptive strategies to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

He highlighted the imperative of reevaluating existing governance structures.