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Govt to bring public service reforms in country: Ahsan Iqbal
APPISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that the government is fully committed to introducing reforms in civil service institutions to enhance the capacity and services delivery mechanism of individuals and institutions.
The minister, who is visiting Singapore to discuss and explore possibilities of collaboration between Planning Commission of Pakistan and different institutions of Singapore in the field of public service reforms, attended a briefing session at the UNDP’s Global Centre for Public Service Excellence.
During the briefing, the minister said that the mechanism would focus on performance evaluation, providing required training and skill development, according to a statement received on Wednesday.
Replying to a question, the minister said that the government was working with academia and research institutions to move forward with a view to bringing reforms in different areas, including civil service. The minister also visited E-Governance Leadership Centre at the Institute of Systems Science, Singapore.
He was briefed on the effective management system and performance evaluation system for more citizen-based approach. During his one-day visit, the minister also met Prof Kishore Mahbubani, dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, and discussed possibilities of linkages between LKYS and Pakistani institutions.
During the meeting, the minister said that the government of Pakistan had allocated Rs 1 billion from its own budget for establishing a state-of-the-art school of public service. The minister also invited Prof Kishore Mahbubani to visit Pakistan for further discussions about possible cooperation between Pakistani institutions and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
He also said that the government of Pakistan had earmarked $4 million for institutional and civil service reform. The minister also attended a briefing at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore. Later in the evening, the minister addressed a gathering of members of Pakistani community at the Embassy Residence and apprised them of the development work being carried out in the country.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk