Latest news with #MusadiqMalik
Business Recorder
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Creation of new executive service cadre proposed
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal proposed the creation of a new executive service cadre that would allow mid-career officers to serve in domains aligned with their expertise and interests, thereby, improving institutional effectiveness and job satisfaction. Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadiq Malik expressed serious concern that the Ministry of Climate Change does not currently have officers with relevant academic or professional backgrounds in environmental sciences. A high-level meeting on civil service reforms was jointly chaired in Islamabad on Tuesday by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadiq Malik. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzoor Sumra, as well as secretaries from the ministries of Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Communications, Cabinet Division, and other senior officials. The meeting also review the progress made on previously issued directions concerning civil service reform and to evaluate steps taken so far. Federal Minister Musadiq Malik echoed these concerns and pointed out a critical gap within his own ministry. He observed that the Ministry of Climate Change does not currently have officers with relevant academic or professional backgrounds in environmental sciences. He questioned how a ministry can function effectively without domain knowledge and stressed the urgent need to prioritise technical expertise in public service roles. Malik underscored that it is not language but genuine skill and substance that drive results. Speaking in the meeting, Iqbal emphasised that Pakistan's over-reliance on the English language as a marker of competence has marginalised the majority of the population. He noted that no country in the world has achieved development solely because of proficiency in English, yet in Pakistan, this language-based system has held back nearly 90 per cent of its citizens. He stated that real progress requires valuing knowledge, skills, and professional competence over mere linguistic proficiency. According to the minister, equal opportunities must be created for all, regardless of their language background, to unlock the true potential of Pakistan's human capital. Sharing his broader observations, Musadiq Malik remarked that despite serving in five different ministries, he has yet to come across any with a well-defined work plan or measurable outcomes. He criticised the absence of annual work plans among secretaries, stating that without such frameworks, evaluating inputs and outputs is impossible. He concluded that reforms which do not directly aim to improve performance are inherently meaningless. Both ministers agreed that the discourse on civil service reforms must now move beyond policy discussions and result in actionable strategies to enhance efficiency, promote merit, and ensure institutional performance across government sectors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
08-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan resists IMF's carbon levy
Listen to article Pakistan on Friday pushed back against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s demand to impose a carbon levy on petroleum products, coal, and internal combustion engine cars, which the global lender is advocating to discourage the use of fossil fuels. The IMF has proposed that the existing petroleum levy be increased from Rs60 per litre to Rs70 per litre over three years, starting with Rs3 per litre in the first year, according to government sources. The additional revenue generated from the levy may be used for activities to promote green energy, according to the proposal. Sources said the IMF also wants the existing federal excise duty rates on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to be increased, with the additional duty being treated as a carbon levy. Discussions were held on Friday between an IMF team and Pakistani officials from the Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Industries, and the Federal Board of Revenue. On the same day, the government appointed Ali Pervaiz Malik as the new Petroleum Minister, while his predecessor, Dr Musadiq Malik, was appointed as Climate Change Minister. Sources said Pakistani authorities were not receptive to the IMF's demand and raised concerns about the use of funds generated in the name of climate protection, as well as federation-provincial issues. There were also concerns about imposing a carbon levy on coal, which falls under provincial jurisdiction, they added. Unlike a tax, which is shared with the provinces under the National Finance Commission, collections from a levy remain outside the distributable pool. However, in the case of a carbon levy, half of the revenue must be allocated to the provinces, according to sources. Sources also said the FBR supported the proposal to increase federal excise duty rates on cars. Cars in Pakistan are already heavily taxed, with taxation accounting for 36% to 45% of the total price, depending on the variant. The government currently imposes advance income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty, and hefty registration fees on new cars. The IMF had also raised the issue of a carbon levy last month during negotiations for the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), an IMF loan package designed to support climate-vulnerable nations. Pakistan is seeking over $1 billion from the IMF under this facility. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated this week that disbursements under the RSF will be linked to actual climate-related spending by the country. One of the resilience conditions is the imposition of a carbon levy, which the lenders want Pakistan to apply to internal combustion engine vehicles and fossil fuels. According to government estimates, 10% of total carbon dioxide emissions originate from the transport sector, and a shift to cleaner vehicle sources will require massive funding and efforts. The Engineering Development Board is in the process of finalising a five-year New-Energy Vehicles (NEVs) policy. The ministry's initial estimates indicate that Pakistan will need at least Rs155 billion in additional funding by 2030 to replace combustion engine cars and motorcycles with clean-fuel-based alternatives. Nearly 80% of Pakistan's imported oil is consumed by the transport sector. Converting to cleaner energy vehicles could save foreign exchange reserves, but the transition is expensive and will require subsidies to lower vehicle costs and promote new infrastructure, including tax waivers and concessions, sources said. The IMF's proposal suggests that revenue from the carbon levy should be used to offset the high cost of two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles. According to the Engineering Development Board, traditional two-wheeler motorcycles are up to 100% cheaper than new-energy two-wheelers, while new-energy three-wheelers are up to 123% more expensive. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government aims to ensure that by 2030, up to 90% of new purchases of two- and three-wheelers are based on renewable energy sources. New technology-based four-wheeler cars are estimated to be 65% more expensive than combustion engine vehicles. The government aims for at least 30% of new car purchases by 2030 to be based on new technologies, sources said. According to the World Bank, a carbon tax could be beneficial to Pakistan's development from multiple perspectives. Pakistan imports nearly one-third of its energy in the form of oil, coal, and re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) at enormous cost, contributing significantly to the country's chronic fiscal stress, it added. Pakistan recently signed a $1.2 billion deal to buy Saudi oil on deferred payments. The facility was secured to meet balance of payments needs and will be used to purchase Saudi oil. The government is also planning to introduce National Vehicle Emissions Efficiency Standards aimed at promoting newer, more efficient vehicles.
