Infusing dynamism in administration
Thursday, 26 February 2009
THE issue of inefficiency in the project implementation agencies of the government has again been identified as the main hindrance to the timely utilisation of the development assistance as well further inflow of foreign aid in the country. The view expressed by none other than the incumbent finance minister lends further evidence to the argument that overhauling the bureaucracy should take centre stage among other priorities of the newly elected government, if it is really serious about materialising its election pledges.
It is commendable that the new finance minister has been candid in pointing at the basic flaw of the administration that has not only been holding back progress of work in the foreign-aided development projects, but it has also slowed down progress of the economy itself. In this connection, the anxiety over the global economic meltdown affecting the inflow of aid money in the country would become pointless, if proper uses of that fund cannot be ensured.
So, the repeated reassurances from the government leaders both during the immediate past caretaker government and in the present context give us little comfort, since it does not matter much unless the government's capacity to utilise the aid money is increased. For the administrative inefficiency of the government will not just affect its aid utilisation portfolio. Indeed, the tempo of development activities whether in the public or private sector is liable to be impacted by the dithering in the decision-making process and the resulting procrastination and sloth.
To be frank, the problem identified by the present finance minister is not just one of the issues plaguing the work culture in the administration. In truth, the word inefficiency encapsulates a whole spectrum of diseases that the country's administration as well as society at large is suffering from. It is affecting government's development work, hampering growth of business and even the poverty reduction activities. Against this backdrop, despite the repeated reassurances from the government, the context of the global economic meltdown should be a cause for serious concern for the country. That is because, to keep our heads high above the financial tsunami raging around, we need to be more active and work harder with highest efficiency, if only to save our small boat of the economy from the high waves of uncertainties crashing against it every moment.
There are lots of problems clamouring for immediate attention from the new government. Some leaders of the private sector representing the International Business Forum (IBF), the other day, raised the issues of investment, both domestic and foreign, in the economy afresh. The agriculture, the industry, the trading, to be brief, in all the sectors, public and private, investment is the last word to create jobs and take the economy forward. And the next budget must reflect how the government is planning to stimulate investment in those sectors. At the same time, the upcoming budget must also show how it is going to remove the bottlenecks coming in the way of further expansion of the economy in the form of tax and tariff barriers. Therefore, the government will have to assure businesses that the bureaucracy that became too powerful during the past two years and, small wonder it exercised that newfound power freely to harass business making it investment-shy, may not again get undue indulgence from the new political government in office. For of all the barriers, lack of quick decision due to inefficiency, sloth, corruption and in some cases discretionary power in the bureaucracy is the worst enemy of progress. It has been keeping the expected growth in business and with it development of the country on hold for long. The problem here should be addressed on an urgent basis.
It is commendable that the new finance minister has been candid in pointing at the basic flaw of the administration that has not only been holding back progress of work in the foreign-aided development projects, but it has also slowed down progress of the economy itself. In this connection, the anxiety over the global economic meltdown affecting the inflow of aid money in the country would become pointless, if proper uses of that fund cannot be ensured.
So, the repeated reassurances from the government leaders both during the immediate past caretaker government and in the present context give us little comfort, since it does not matter much unless the government's capacity to utilise the aid money is increased. For the administrative inefficiency of the government will not just affect its aid utilisation portfolio. Indeed, the tempo of development activities whether in the public or private sector is liable to be impacted by the dithering in the decision-making process and the resulting procrastination and sloth.
To be frank, the problem identified by the present finance minister is not just one of the issues plaguing the work culture in the administration. In truth, the word inefficiency encapsulates a whole spectrum of diseases that the country's administration as well as society at large is suffering from. It is affecting government's development work, hampering growth of business and even the poverty reduction activities. Against this backdrop, despite the repeated reassurances from the government, the context of the global economic meltdown should be a cause for serious concern for the country. That is because, to keep our heads high above the financial tsunami raging around, we need to be more active and work harder with highest efficiency, if only to save our small boat of the economy from the high waves of uncertainties crashing against it every moment.
There are lots of problems clamouring for immediate attention from the new government. Some leaders of the private sector representing the International Business Forum (IBF), the other day, raised the issues of investment, both domestic and foreign, in the economy afresh. The agriculture, the industry, the trading, to be brief, in all the sectors, public and private, investment is the last word to create jobs and take the economy forward. And the next budget must reflect how the government is planning to stimulate investment in those sectors. At the same time, the upcoming budget must also show how it is going to remove the bottlenecks coming in the way of further expansion of the economy in the form of tax and tariff barriers. Therefore, the government will have to assure businesses that the bureaucracy that became too powerful during the past two years and, small wonder it exercised that newfound power freely to harass business making it investment-shy, may not again get undue indulgence from the new political government in office. For of all the barriers, lack of quick decision due to inefficiency, sloth, corruption and in some cases discretionary power in the bureaucracy is the worst enemy of progress. It has been keeping the expected growth in business and with it development of the country on hold for long. The problem here should be addressed on an urgent basis.