The government said the first four waves of rightsizing had largely moved forward after cabinet approval, while implementation continued on recommendations already cleared
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Rightsizing of the Federal Government to review progress on the ongoing rightsizing exercise and discuss measures to accelerate the implementation of approved recommendations.
The meeting was held in the presence of Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Dr Musadik Malik, convener of the reconstituted Sub-Committee on Rightsizing. The meeting reviewed progress across the eight waves of the rightsizing process covering federal ministries and attached departments.
It was noted that Waves 1 to 4 had largely progressed following cabinet approval, while follow-up work was under way in areas where recommendations had already been made. Recommendations for Waves 5 and 6 had also been prepared and shared with the relevant authorities, while work on Waves 7 and 8 was in progress.
The finance minister emphasized that the exercise should move more decisively towards implementation. He said the objective of rightsizing was to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance government output through digitization, better utilization of resources and the streamlining of functions.
Aurangzeb stressed the need to clearly quantify recurring savings and ensure that the fiscal impact of approved rightsizing measures was fully captured in the budget and medium-term fiscal framework.
The committee discussed the broader approach to rightsizing, including a review of the functions being performed by the federal government and an assessment of where greater efficiency could be achieved through appropriate institutional arrangements, devolution and private-sector participation.
It emphasized that government resources should remain focused on essential functions, supported by an institutional framework that was leaner, more efficient and better aligned with service-delivery requirements. The meeting also reviewed the need for workload and activity analysis to inform decisions on institutional structures, functions and staffing.
The finance minister emphasized that rightsizing must ultimately be measured by improvements in efficiency, productivity and service delivery, rather than simply by reductions in the size of government.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and convener of the sub-committee, Senator Dr Musadik Malik, emphasized the need for a focused and time-bound approach to implementation.
