ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has announced that the federal government’s rightsizing process is set to conclude by the end of the current fiscal year. The initiative aims to reduce government expenditures and enhance operational efficiency.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Finance Minister, while addressing a news conference in Islamabad, outlined the progress made in the rightsizing efforts. Over the past six months, 150,000 vacant posts have been abolished following approval from the Federal Cabinet. Departments are expected to outsource non-core services such as gardening, cleaning, and plumbing to increase efficiency, and contingency posts will also see reductions.

The Finance Ministry will maintain live visibility on the cash balances of all government entities, Aurangzeb stated. In the first phase of the initiative, decisions have impacted six ministries, including the merging of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan and the abolition of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). The number of attached entities in these ministries has been reduced from 80 to 40.

In the second phase, the focus shifted to the Ministries of Science and Technology, Commerce, Housing and Works, and National Food Security. Of the 60 entities within these ministries, 25 will be wound up, 20 reduced, and nine merged. Aurangzeb emphasized that these decisions will be implemented as planned.

Looking ahead, the third phase involves sending recommendations for five additional ministries, including Federal Education and Professional Training, Information and Broadcasting, and others, to the Federal Cabinet for approval. Aurangzeb reiterated the government’s commitment to sustainable economic growth built on macroeconomic stability, asserting that the targets are progressing in the desired direction.