Low-performing entities of science, technology ministry face closure

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is facing overhaul after a subcommittee has recommended to the higher-powered committee on federal government right-sizing that several low-performing entities either be abolished or merged with other departments.
The recommendations include closure of the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) and the Council for Works and Housing Research (CWHR); merger of Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) with another institution; and transfer of universities functioning under the supervision of the MoST to the Ministry of Education.
If the proposals are approved by the right-sizing committee, they will then be presented to the federal cabinet for a final decision on the fate of PCST, CWHR, and PCRET.
The sub-committee of the higher-powered committee on federal government right-sizing, which was notified in June, earlier questioned the functioning of various departments within the MoST, justification for their existence, contributions in terms of revenue generation and self-reliance.
Sources in the ministry said that the MoST demanded that the Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA), established in 2016 under its supervision, should remain under its domain, but members of the subcommittee have suggested that the PHA be placed under the administrative control of cabinet division.

At the same time, the subcommittee raised queries that PHA’s functions overlap with other depa­rtments within the MoST, such as the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).
The sub-committee is also expected to recommend merger of PHA and PSQCA before their likely transfer to another ministry.
Concerns were also raised by the panel over negligible revenue generation by the PCSIR despite its annual budget running into billions of rupees. Members of the committee questioned the rationale for continuing to fund the loss-making entity.
The ministry officials have expressed concern over recommendations by the sub-committee, as closures or transfer of its wings to other ministries could ultimately lead to the dissolution of the MoST.
They said that nine departments under the MoST were currently operating without permanent heads, as they are being managed by officials serving on an ad hoc basis. They said it was leadership vacuum that led to poor performance and lack of effective functioning of many departments.
The departments facing such leadership crisis include the PCST, PSQCA, PCRET, National Metrology Institute of Pakistan (NMIP), Pakistan Science Foun­dation (PSF), National Institute of Electronics (NIE), National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), COMSATS University, and the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC).
This situation has impacted the research and development work of these organisations.
Final recommendations of the right-sizing committee may bring sweeping changes to the structure and operations of MoST.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024