Acting government

And the Oscars for best acting in government-goes to: PML-N. Okay, thats probably a lousy joke but it is unfortunate that even after ten months of taking charge PML-Ns indecision making has left some of Pakistans key institutions headless. Take for instance, the case of Competition Commission of Pakistan, where the government has recently reappointed Dr Joseph Wilson as its acting chairman.
In retrospect, Wilsons appointment as acting chairman-and not a chairman-in August 2013 may be excused on the premise that back then the government was relatively new. But the reappointment of Wilson as acting chairman shows that the government doesn give two hoots about the institution and just wants to muddle things along. If you trust the mans credentials then might as well give him a proper position so he can steer the institution with a longer-term vision than with a sword of demotion dangling over his head.
And speaking of Wilsons credentials, he is, in the words of former CCP chairman, Khalid Mirza, "the most academically qualified man in South Asia for this purpose". The fact that he just won the World Banks 2013 Competition Advocacy Contest on the basis of a policy note he passed in CCP on Pakistans aviation industry also bears testament to his credentials. But this column is not about the CCP. Its about the governments practise to appoint acting heads across the key institutions. The SECP has been headed by acting chairman for nearly a year; the SOEs boards are yet to be reconstituted; and the position of Planning Commissions chief economist is still lying vacant at time when they are supposed to finalise their Vision 2025. Likewise, the State Bank of Pakistan is also being headed by acting governor since the last month and a half. Hopefully, in the case of SBP, it will not be another episode of a long serving acting governor.
This kind of nonchalant attitude towards key regulators runs contrary to PML-Ns own manifesto where it promises "improved regulatory environment on national level". The partys advisors ought to go back to school books and understand the importance of leadership positions at key organisations and institutions. Kamran Mirza, CEO of Pakistan Business Council, puts it very aptly when he says that an acting head lacks the necessary authority and the confidence to lead the institution or an organisation towards progress. Not to mention the morale of subordinates is down in such circumstances, as a sense of directionlessness prevails in the entity. Mirza adds that appointing acting heads at a regulator for long periods also gives a bad signal to local and foreign investors. Clearly, thats something Pakistan can ill-afford at this point in time.