12/14/2015

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HomeNational/Regional2010TheYearAheadGoodGovernance

GoodGovernance
Governanceisdescribedasadecisionmakingprocessinwhichdecisionsare
eitherimplementedornotimplemented,whereby,thegovernmentconduct
publicaffairs,managepublicresources,andguaranteetherealizationofhuman
rights.Goodgovernancemeanstoaccomplishallthisinamannerthatisfree
ofabuseandcorruption,andthatensuresruleoflaw.

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Ideallyspeakinggoodgovernanceispursuitofanidealwhichisdifficultifnotdownrightimpossibletoachieveinitstotality.
However,toensuresustainablehumandevelopment,GoodGovernanceneedscomprehensiveplanningbackedbyconcrete
actions.Majordonorsandinternationalfinancialinstitutions,liketheIMForWorldBank,aremakingGoodGovernancea
preconditionforcountriesthatareendeavoringtoqualifyfortheirloansetc.
Goodgovernancecanbeunderstoodasasetof8majorcharacteristics:
1.Participation,
2.RuleOfLaw,
3.transparency,
4.Responsiveness,
5.Consensusorientation,
6.Equityandinclusiveness,
7.Effectivenessandefficiency
8.Accountability.
9.
Alltheabovementionedcardinalsaremeanttoensurethat:
1.Corruptionisminimized.
2.Theviewsofminoritiesaretakenintoaccount.
3.Thevoicesofthemostvulnerableinsocietyareheardindecisionmaking
CharacteristicsofGoodGovernance:Thebasiccharacteristicsofgoodgovernanceareasfollow:
a.Participation
i.Participationbybothmenandwomen.
ii.Participationcouldbeeitherdirectorthroughlegitimateintermediateinstitutionsorrepresentatives.
iii.Participationalsomeansfreedomofassociationandexpressionontheonehandandanorganizedcivilsocietyontheother
hand.

Secondly a system of checks and balances can flourish only if various countervailing
forces such as the parliament, judiciary, press and the civil society organizations are
allowed to play an independent role.
b.RuleofLaw
i.Goodgovernancerequiresfairlegalframeworksandimpartialapplicationoflaw.
ii.Fullprotectionofhumanrights,particularlythoseofminorities.

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iii.Italsomeansindependentjudiciaryandanimpartialandincorruptiblepublicinstitutionsespecially,policeforce.

c.Transparency
i.Decisionsmustbetakenandimplementedinamannerthatfollowsrulesandregulations.

ii.Informationmustbefreelyavailableanddirectlyaccessibletothosewhowillbeaffectedbysuchdecisions.

d.Responsiveness:Institutionsandprocessesmustbesimpleandeffectiveenoughsoastoserveallstakeholderswithina
reasonabletimeframe.

e.Consensusorientation
i.Todevelopaconsensusorienteddecisionmakingprocessinordertoensureastowhatisinthebestinterestofthewhole
communityandhowthiscanbeachieved.

ii.Italsorequiresalongtermperspectiveforsustainablehumandevelopmentandhowtoachievethegoalsofsuch
development.

f.Equityandinclusiveness
i.Ensuringthatallmembersofsocietyfeelthattheyhaveastakeinitanddonotfeelexcludedfromthemainstream.

ii.Thisrequiresallgroups,andespeciallythemostvulnerabletohaveopportunitiestomaintainorimprovetheirwellbeing.

g.Effectivenessandefficiency
i.Processesandinstitutionsareexpectedtoproducecosteffectiveresultsthatmeettheneedsofsociety.Moreover,
sustainableuseofnaturalresourcesandtheprotectionoftheenvironmentmustbetakenintoaccountduringalltimes.

h.Accountability
i.Ingeneralorganizationsandinstitutionsareaccountabletothosewhowillbeaffectedbydecisionsoractions.

ii.Governmentalinstitutionsaswellastheprivatesectorandcivilsocietyorganizationsmustbeheldaccountabletothe
publicandtotheirinstitutionalstakeholders.

"Itisnotonlywhatwedo,butalsowhatwedonotdo,

forwhichweareaccountable."
Moliere
ViewofDr.IshratHussein:NowIwouldliketogiveanimpressivecommentaryofDr.IsharatHussainupongood
governanceandhowitcanbematerialised,fromhisbooktitledSevenPillarsofGoodGovernance.Hearguesthatinorderto
ensureGoodgovernance,weonlyhavefewconcreteandspecificpracticableproposalsforactionwhichatpresentseemstobe
buriedunderClichsandplatitudes.Beforeproceedingtowardsthesolutionhewantsustoacknowledgeafewthings:

Firstlytheexistenceofcorruptionmustbeaccepted(thatitexistsalmostineverycountry)howeverthebestwecanexpectis
thatitsincidenceandintensitycouldbeminimisedovertime.

Secondlyasystemofchecksandbalancescanflourishonlyifvariouscountervailingforcessuchastheparliament,judiciary,
pressandthecivilsocietyorganizationsareallowedtoplayanindependentrole.Iftheseforcesaremadesubservientorare
repressednothingworthwhilewilleverbeachieved.Thereshouldbenopresumptionsthatanyentitywhetherthatisthe
executive,thejudiciary,themediaorthecivilsocietyshallenjoymonopolyofpoweraloneoractasaselfrighteousbodyof
vigilance.Itistheinteractionofthesevariousentitieswhichwillgeneratetheoptimalresults.

Thirdly,accordingtoformerGovernorofStateBank,heisnotproposingcreatinganynewinstitutionsbutarguingforthe
revitalization,revampingandreengineeringofthoseinstitutionsthatalreadyexistundertheconstitution.Thereisacommon
tendencyandaneasywayoutavailabletoboththenationalgovernmentsandtheinternationaldonorstoabandontheexisting
institutionsandtocreatenewagencies,whichstartoutwithagreatpompandshowbutsoonaccumulateorganisationalfat
andfallinthesamewhirlpoolofinactionandineptitudelikethatoftheirpredecessors.Thereasonsfortheirfailureareprecisely
thesame.Unlesstheunderlyingdynamicsissetrighttheinstitutionalmorasswillcontinuetogrow.ThehistoryofPakistanis
ladenwithcreationofnewinstitutionswhicharegivenfuzzymandate,inadequateresources,littleoperationalautonomyand
areneverheldaccountableforresults.

Finally,Dr.Ishratsdoesnotfavourtheperiodic,swift,abrupt,publicizedandextrainstitutionalmeasurestovictimisethe
officialsthathasbeenthenorminPakistansincethescreeningofseniorcivilservantswasfirstattemptedbyAyubKhanin
1958.Headvocatesanapproachthatwillcreateanenvironmentwherebytheactsofmisdemeanourandmalfeasanceare
exposedroutinelyincreasedvigilanceandscrutinyisexercisedcontinuouslyearlydetection,investigationandfixingof
responsibilityiscarriedoutresolutelyanddisciplinaryactionsagainstthosewhoarefoundguilty,aretakenpromptly.Hefurther
advocatestoorganisethefederalandprovincialinvestigationagenciesonmodernlinesandtostopthemindlessapplicationof
officialSecretsActthatshelterstheopacityofdecisionmakingbythepoliticiansandthecivilservants.

TheSevenPillarsofGoodGovernancecanmakethedifferenceprovided

1.Theyareheadedbywidelyrespected,strongandcompetentmanagersofknownintegrity(wehavemanyoftheminthe
country)
2.Thetermsofreference,responsibilities,functionsandpowersoftheseinstitutionsareclearlydefined
3.Thereisnopoliticalinterferenceintheirworkingbutatthesametimetheyareheldpubliclyaccountablefortheiractions
andtheresults
4.Theyareprovidedwithadequatefinancialresourcesandahighcalibreprofessionalstaff.

5.Theyfollowopenandtransparentproceduresandprocesses.PIAunderNoorKhanandAsgharKhanandthePIDCunder
GhulamFaruqaretheexamplesofsuccessthatadoptedthisstrategy.

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TheSevenPillars
ThefirstpillaristheParliamentarycommitteesparticularlythePublicAccountsCommittee.Theymustbeequippedwith
respectedandqualifiedMNAsorSenatorsandstaffedbyfulltimeprofessionalandtechnicalpersonnel.Inordertoacquirethe
bitingteeth,timelydeliberationswithstrongfollowupareofessence.

1.PACshouldreviewallthefiscalexemptionsandconcessionsetc.

2.TheproceedingsoftheseCommitteesshouldbeopentopublicandthemedia.Thetemptationforthemembersofthese
committeestoharassorintimidatetheconcernedofficialsorgetinvolvedinmicromanagementisverystrongunderthe
politicalcultureofPakistan.Ifthishappensthesecommitteeswillbemoreofanuisancethananagentofgoodgovernance.

ThesecondpillaristheStateBankofPakistan.AnindependentandautonomousStateBankprovidesaguaranteeagainstthe
excessiveandirresponsibleactionsofthepoliticiansandthebureaucratsineconomicmanagement.

TheThirdPillaristhePakistanRevenueService.TaxcollectioninPakistanhascausedalotofgrieftotheeconomicmanagersin
pursuingaprudentfiscalpolicy.TherenamingoftheCentralBoardofRevenuewillbepurelycosmeticunlessthereismajor
reorientationandrestructuringoftheincentives,pay,recruitment,promotion,training,performanceevaluation,procedures
andprocesses.Thenewgoaloriented,resultbasedorganizationcangeneratehighertaxyieldsifthebasiccompensation
packageandrewardstructureforthetaxofficialsaresuchastoinhibittemptationsforsidedealswithunscrupuloustaxpayers.
Atthesametimethereshouldntbeenoughflexibilitytopenalizethosewhocontinuetoindulgeincorruption.

Finally,Dr.Ishratsdoesnotfavourtheperiodic,swift,abrupt,publicizedandextra
institutionalmeasurestovictimisetheofficialsthathasbeenthenorminPakistan
sincethescreeningofseniorcivilservantswasfirstattemptedbyAyubKhanin
1958.
TheFifthpillaristheFederal/ProvincialPublicServiceCommissions.Mostofthecurrentdifficultiesingovernancehavearisen
duetothepoliticizationofthehigherservicesinthepost1973period.Thereisageneralrecognitionthatthemeritbased
systemofrecruitment,appointmentsandpromotions,despitemanyshortcomingshadservedthenationbetterthanthe
presentSIFARISH(intercession)basedandbuythepostsystem.Theresponsibilitiesforallrecruitmentandpromotionsshould
berevertedtotheCommissionswithoutanyexceptionbutonlymenandwomenofprovenintegrityandimpeccablecredentials
shouldbeappointedaschairmanandmembersoftheCommission.
TheSixthpillaristheFederal/ProvincialOmbudsman.ThefanfarewithwhichtheseofficeswereestablishedundertheZia
governmentdieddownfairlyquickly.Theyarenowperceivedtobegrindingthesamemillstoneastherestofthebureaucracy.
TheSeventhistheFederalElectionCommission.Apowerful,independentandassertiveFECcanplayapreventiveroleby
carefulscreening,scrutinyandinvestigationofthecandidatesforalltiersofelectedofficesanddisqualifyingthosewhoareill
reputedandofdubiouscharacter.
Together,thesesevenpillars,ifallowedtoworkeffectivelyandefficiently,willbeabletoplugthoseloopholesthatleadto
corruptpractices.Themostdifficultquestiontoansweris:Whowillbellthecat?Whohasthecourageandgutstoputthese
changesinplace?Ofcourse,anenlightenedgovernmentwhichhasasenseofhistoryratherthansightsfixedatthenext
electionsistheonlyonecapableofdoingit.Pakistanhasn'tbeenfortunateinhavingsuchagovernmentsofar.
Itiseasytododgeourresponsibilitiesbutwecannotdodgetheconsequencesofdodgingourresponsibilities

MuhammadAzmatFarooq(CSP)
Articleviewed2376times.

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