Share this story!            

DMG opposes proposal to set up Executive Service

By Sajjad Malik

ISLAMABAD: The District Management Group (DMG) is strongly opposing the National Commission on Government Reforms’ (NCGR) proposal to set up all Pakistan National Executive Service (NES), Sources told Daily Times on Wednesday.

Sources said that the DMG had opposed creation of the NES as it was aimed at reducing their share in the top-level bureaucracy by directly inducting officers in BS 20 through open examination and providing them quick promotion. “Traditionally 65 per cent federal secretaries are picked form the DMG but the NES would curtail their share. So their opposition to NES is natural, though it is based on vested interests,” sources said.

The NES idea is aimed at instituting a new cadre of top officials through competitive examination. According to the plan of NCGR, everyone with a specific experience, agreed through consultations with various stakeholders, could take the examination for direct recruitment in BS 20. “The NES would be open for government servants and private sector employees and it would ensure fast promotion and market-based remuneration to attract best available talent to government sector,” sources said.

When the idea was floated, the NCGR decided to trifurcate the NES into Economic Management Group, Financial Management Group and General Management Group. Later, the Economic Management Group was deleted, as already a similar group had been part of federal bureaucracy, sources said, adding, “So we decided to create Social Sector Management Group to take care of education, health etc instead of Economic Management Group.”

Sources said that the NES main objective was to find leaders and policy makers at the top level.

Sources also said that though the DMG had been opposing the NES by tooth and nail all provinces supported it during the consultation.

Though NES would create new cadre by direct appointments at BS 20 level it would not block the regular promotions of civil servants to grade 20 and above because the routine promotion through departmental promotion committees and Central Selection Board would continue as per law. But their proportion at top-level policy making positions would diminish, sources said.

Sources agreed that the NES could be another ‘elite group of civil servants’ but said that the scientific system would be introduced to monitor the performance of NES and those falling behind the required criterion would be automatically eliminated.

Despite opposition by the DMG, the NCGR is upbeat about the idea of NES and believe fresh consultation would start soon to formalise it at the earliest.

Home | National

Share this story!