July 23, 2007	Monday	Rajab 07, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 22: The World Bank has expressed its concern over provinces’ continued failure in undertaking much-needed “wide ranging public sector reforms” that is causing inefficiencies and promoting corruption.

Sources told Dawn that after receiving assurances of necessary financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the federal government had approved, as a first step, the public sector reform programme in Punjab to be later stretched in other three provinces as well.

The federal government was also asked to carry out public sector reforms in Punjab for which new funding would separately be offered during 2007-08.

“Institutional and public sector reforms have just been approved for Punjab with the support of the World Bank whose officials also want such reforms in other provinces as well,” said an official of the Planning Commission.

He said that donors were increasingly concerned about intensifying inefficiencies and corrupt practices in almost all departments in the provinces and were calling for correcting the situation, failing which they might not be offering the adequate level of financial and technical assistance to Pakistan.

According to the details shared with Dawn, institutional strengthening and capacity building of officers of the Punjab government would initially be taken up.

The World Bank was informed that the Punjab government had embarked upon a major reform programme under the Punjab Resource Management Programme.

Reforms are underway in public procurement processes, contingent liabilities including pension and GP fund, debt management, expenditure tracking, medium-term budgetary development frameworks, improving service delivery for the social sector including health, education and water supply and sanitation, private sector development and urban planning.

A comprehensive capacity building framework for Punjab is being developed in consultation with the stakeholders.

The federal government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Civil Services College International (CSCI), Singapore for developing a long-term capacity building partnership.

Under the MoU, the CSCI and the government of Punjab would finalise professional development courses for the officers.

Some of the courses will be carried out by CSCI in Singapore, while rest would be carried out by CSCI in Punjab.

Similar, MoUs would also be signed with the local as well as international training institute of repute.

In view of the devolution of power, business of the government has undergone de-concentration of management function, diffusion of authority and descended to the lowest tiers of the district government system.

It applied the need to addressing the gaps, grey areas and incapacities in the administrative and financial management structure.

“This devolution system is seen with good eyes by the World Bank, but it is not satisfied with the financial matters”, said an official.

In view of the proposed creation of district service cadres, natural requirement for institutional strengthening and training and capacity building has come to the fore so that the capacity building arrangement, provisioning and delivery of services could be made effective at the local level.