PARTLY FACETIOUS: A technocrat should not issue directives?

“Why are you laughing?”

“The caretaker finance minister did what our finance ministers have done since Musharraf’s government fell.”

“I don’t get it – our revolving finance ministers during civilian rule…”

“Stop right there. Pakistan has had revolving finance ministers whether we have civilian rule or military rule or indeed caretaker rule.”

“Well that’s because between technocrats and Usman Buzdar…”

“Buzdar was never ever the finance minister of this country”

“I was referring to Nawaz Sharif’s Buzdar also known as The Samdhi.”

“What in the world does the caretaker finance minister, with experience in multilaterals have in common with Ishaq Dar?”

“For one both consider themselves technocrats, it doesn’t matter what you think…”

“It’s not a fair comparison, the caretaker finance minister has the relevant qualifications and…”

“And that brings me to point number two. In spite of relevant qualifications and experience in a multilateral where she surely was involved in designing projects and programmes to strengthen a country’s tax system, to improve governance, to…”

“Well I don’t think that is in question at all. She is more qualified than Nawaz Sharif’s Usman Buzdar.”

“Right but what does she do? She issues directives to the Federal Board of Revenue to propose out of the box solutions to the inequitable tax structure…and while chairing the Economic Coordination Committee meeting she directed the food ministry to check smuggling and hoarding of sugar……yes I find it funny too because it is beyond the FBR’s ability to come up with out of the box solutions and the food ministry officials are believed to be facilitators…”

“Don’t be facetious.”

“Anyway in my book a technocrat should not issue directives but propose the remedy and seek FBR input about any lacunae in implementation and deal with them.”

“In your dreams.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023