The federal government has launched the rightsizing of nine ministries as part of its comprehensive structural reforms, as per a statement from the Ministry of Finance. The ministries undergoing changes include Kashmir Affairs, SAFRON (States and Frontier Regions), Information Technology (IT), Industries and Production, Health, Science and Technology, Commerce, Housing and Works, and Food Security.
A significant restructuring measure sees the merger of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and SAFRON into one entity, while the Capital Administration and Development Division is completely abolished. These moves are aimed at boosting efficiency and eliminating duplication within federal departments.
In the Ministry of IT and Telecom, the number of sub-agencies has been reduced from eleven to ten. Likewise, the Ministry of Industries and Production has drastically reduced its agencies, closing 25 institutions, leaving only six operational.
The Ministry of Health has also undergone a substantial restructuring, cutting its sub-agencies from 30 to 20. Other ministries like Housing and Works and Food Security are still in the process of rightsizing.
In the next phase of reforms, the Finance Ministry has announced that five more institutions will be evaluated for rightsizing, including the Federal Education Ministry, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Finance, and the Power Division.
While the government's goal is to streamline operations and reduce administrative costs, concerns have been raised about the effects these reforms could have on public service delivery and jobs in the affected ministries. The Finance Ministry reassured that the reforms would be carried out gradually to minimize disruption and maintain essential services.
