HYDERABAD: Speakers at a workshop emphasised the need for good governance in the province and perfect management in all institutions in order to eradicate corruption that has devoured national institutions.

The five-day indigenous on-campus training (IOT) workshop on ‘Management, governance and communication skills’ at the University of Sindh began on Monday. It has been organised by the Quality Enhancement Cell and the Planning & Development Cell under the aegis of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

SU acting vice chancellor Prof Dr Imdad Ali Ismaili chaired the inaugural session, where Hyderabad deputy inspector general of police Dr Sanaullah Abbasi was the guest of honour.

Prof Ismaili told the participants that the biometric system has brought punctuality at workplaces but it is being opposed in Pakistan.

He called for bringing in the management tools being used by foreign universities to accelerate the pace of development.

DIG Dr Abbasi termed short-courses essential for officers’ skill development. He proposed that such trainings should be conducted every three months even without HEC funds.

The DIG said that corruption in the country had been rampant for the last seven years and bribery has become an essential part of getting something done.

He said that democracy, human rights, justice, accountability, freedom, rule of law and combating corruption were the basic ingredients of governance. He suggested that audit of public sector organisations should be carried out by a third party instead of government’s own auditors to ensure transparency.

QEC director Dr Azhar Ali Shah said that training workshop was the best option for acquiring knowledge and expertise because it ensured capacity-building to staff. This was the first ever training for cadre staff held at the SU under the modern university governance programme, he noted, and said it was a great opportunity for the cadre staff to improve their administrative and managerial qualities.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2014