How could good governance be introduced at micro-level? Seminar on Saturday
Thursday, February 16th, 2012 7:39:55 by Fayyaz Yaseen
How could good governance be introduced at micro-level? Seminar on Saturday
Excise and Taxation departments are generally perceived as one of the most corrupt government departments in Pakistan. The journey of Excise and Taxation Department of Islamabad under the supervision of a mid-career civil servant,
Dr Ehtasham Anwar, from one such department to that of a role model of change for others in a span of few months has therefore intrigued many minds.
In the words of a leading newspaper;
“The premises were untidy and dilapidated; fixtures and counters were outdated and shabby; the surroundings were infested with touts and agents; staff was rude, non-cooperative and amenable to bribery; corruption was rampant and
not even a leaf moved without money; procedures and requirements were cumbersome, complex and unclear; information and guidance were unavailable; checks and balances were not there and supervision was lacking; discretionary powers were used in favour of those
who were rich or wielded influence; indiscipline and chaos were the hallmarks. Not so, any more.”
Irfan Siddiqi, renowned columnist of the leading daily Jang in his column dated October 17, 2010 went to the extent of suggesting Punjab Government to learn from the miracle done in Islamabad.
What actually had enabled Dr Ehtasham Anwar to bring such an enormous change? Was it a result of a well thought out strategy or just random measures? If at all it was a well thought out strategy, what were its components? Could
it be applied to other public service departments in Pakistan and achieve similar results there too? These and other governance related aspects in the local, national and global context will be discussed in the seminar on “How could good governance be introduced
at micro-level?” to be held on Saturday, February 18 at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) premises. At the seminar, Mr. Tariq Banuri, the head of Sustainable Development Division United Nations will Chair the event, participation to which is
open to all.
Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=12973
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