Clear demarcation between roles and functions of ministries and regulatory bodies will promote operational independence and foster public trust in regulatory bodies: Ahsan Iqbal
Clear demarcation between roles and functions of ministries and regulatory bodies will promote operational independence and foster public trust in regulatory bodies: Ahsan Iqbal
Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal held a meeting to evaluate policy options to separate role and functions of ministries and regulatory bodies in Islamabad today. The meeting was held as a result of Prime Minister’s directions to segregate regulatory functions from ministries. Secretary Cabinet, Secretary Planning, Member Governance from Planning Commission and relevant officials from Cabinet Division and Planning Ministry attended the meeting.
The Planning Minister directed the officials to map out the existing structure of regulatory bodies operating under the Federal Government and submit a report on the organisational practices of these regulatory bodies. In addition, he instructed the officials to do a study with PIDE on global best practices. Quoting the example of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the Planning Minister said that the fundamental flow in hiring of personnel in regulatory bodies is the mismatch of skill set between the candidate and job’s requirements. He said that in regulatory bodies where technical skills are required, representatives of provinces are often non technical, leading to low performance output.
During the meeting, further discussion was held on policies to be adopted to amend the function of regulation. It was agreed that regulatory organizations should be democratically accountable.
Policy options proposed in subsequent meetings will aim to enhance clarity in roles and responsibilities, promote efficiency and ensure accountability across government entities. “A clear demarcation will not only promote operational independence but also foster public trust in regulatory bodies,” the Minister stated.
