The Cabinet Division announced on Wednesday that the government will save Rs36 billion annually by cutting nearly 40,000 public sector jobs. These cuts are part of a major cost-saving drive aimed at making the federal government more efficient. However, 29% of the abolished posts were from the lowest grade-1, affecting gardeners, sweepers, and peons the most.
The government shared pay-scale-wise details of the abolished posts for the first time with the Senate Finance Committee. Most of these positions were already vacant, so the move won’t affect current staff immediately. But no new hiring will be done for them. Positions from grades 1 to 16 make up 86% of the total job cuts, saving around Rs31 billion.
Despite these cuts, the recent doubling of the federal cabinet raised concerns. Lawmakers questioned the logic of expanding the cabinet while calling for cost-cutting. Cabinet Secretary Kamran Afzal defended the move, stating that more ministers are needed for better efficiency. He admitted the symbolic impact of expansion hurt the reform narrative.
Committee members also objected to the federal government holding ministries like health and education, which fall under provincial control. The government said it’s working on downsizing those too. The committee will now review right-sizing plans in more detail and meet again to discuss department-wise reforms.
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