MINISTER for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar comprehensively briefed the media on Sunday about the targets assigned to each Federal Ministry aimed at easing challenges in different areas, providing relief to the people and moving towards good governance. According to him, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given short, medium and long term targets to all the ministries and divisions and their performance would be evaluated against key indicators set for the purpose. Tarar said targets had been given on the basis of a realistic approach like the finance ministry had been given the target to reduce inflation and unemployment, increase GDP growth, restructuring of loans and digitalization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself is work-alcoholic and by assigning clear targets to different ministries, he has conveyed a clear message that he wants to see prompt results and it becomes understandable in view of the grave economic and financial conditions of the country and expectations of the people from the elected government. The situation is so grim that one of the PML(N) stalwarts and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that the country has virtually defaulted and the government was not in a position to provide relief to the masses at least for one and a half or two years. However, mindful of the fact that the problem-ridden people cannot wait for this long, the Prime Minister has done well to activate the governmental machinery in a problem-solution mode to ease pressure on the general public. A cursory glance at the targets given to various ministries shows the PML(N) Government has done its groundwork as far as delivery on short, medium and long term bases is concerned. As highlighted by Attaullah Tarar, who himself is an energetic and motivated personality, the entire cabinet consists of experienced people, youths, seasoned politicians and technocrats and, therefore, there is no reason not to achieve the given targets. The Finance Ministry has been given the most challenging targets of lowering inflation and unemployment, increasing GDP growth, restructuring loans and digitizing the FBR. However, given the commitment and vision of new Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb it is hoped that the Ministry would not disappoint people. In fact, the Minister has initiated several measures towards that direction and results can be achieved if he gets full backing of the system for the onerous task of overcoming economic and financial challenges. Similarly, the Interior Ministry also has daunting tasks of launching a crackdown on illegal weapons, devising a new counter-terrorism strategy and taking action against illegal immigrants and smuggling. Here again, Mohsin Naqvi effectively delivered in Punjab as caretaker Chief Minister and he can build upon the momentum achieved during the interim period when demonstrable progress was made in curbing mafias and illegalities. The Commerce Ministry has been asked to present a new trade policy by April 30 and it is to be seen what proposals it contains to jack up exports. This, of course, depends on actions and policies that fall in the domains of other ministries and departments, the most important being the issue of cost of doing business, which is increasing with the passage of time. Exports depend on surplus production and this cannot be achieved until and unless there is electricity and gas tariff stability as well as that of exchange rate. The country cannot grow and prosper on a sustainable basis without focusing on quality education and with this in view, the Education Ministry has been given the target of increasing Ph.D. scholarships by 20 percent and devising a strategy relating to ‘National Hunermandi’ by September 01. As repeatedly emphasized by experts, our universities are teaching obsolete syllabi, necessitating urgent revision and upgrading, as well as the establishment of modern labs to propel research and development. The targets assigned to the ministries spark confidence about a change for the better but much depends on their actual implementation, which requires constant monitoring and accountability by the PM Office.
