ISLAMABAD: The president has promulgated ordinances to restructure the management system of four government institutions in line with the commitment made to the IMF.

The National Highway Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2023, Pakistan Postal Services Management Board (Amendment) Ordinance 2023, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance 2023, and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 were promulgated on Thursday after respective secretaries “briefed the President on the urgency” of the matter, according to a PID news release.

After the amendments, the posts of chairperson and chief executives in NHA, Pakistan Post, PNSC and PBC would be separated “to ensure good governance in line with international best practices”.

Independent members would be inducted into their boards.

The amendments have been made to bring these entities in conformity with the State Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023, promulgated in January.

“These amendments are a part of the SOE reforms agreed upon by the Government of Pakistan with the international partners and are included in the SBA (Standby Agreement) with the IMF as a structural benchmark.

“Other provisions of the SOE Act, for example, regular reporting of an entity’s performance to the Central Monitoring Unit, preparation of annual business plans, and preparation and public disclosure reports to better inform the public, will now apply to these organisations.

“Overall the amendments in the laws of these state-owned entities will lead to better governance, service delivery and accountability to the public,” the news release said.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2023