Ministry of defence production: Government decides to turn 5 entities into autonomous bodies

The federal government has decided to declare five entities of the Ministry of Defense Production autonomous bodies. These are the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POFs) Board, Wah Cantt, Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Board, Taxila, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Board, Kamra, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), Karachi, and National Radio Telecommun-ication Corporation (NRTC).

This decision has been taken in the last meeting (13th) of the implementation committee, which was held in Institutional Reforms Cell (IRC) at the Prime Minister's Office.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Ishrat Husain, adviser to the PM on institutional reforms and austerity.

Implementation committee agreed to the categorization of these five entities as proposed autonomous bodies except the Defense Export Promotion Organization (DEPO), which may be re-designed as an executive department instead of an autonomous body.

Implementation committee also agreed to the categorization of Director General Munitions Production (DGMP) excluding [military vehicles research and development establishment (MVRDE), Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Institute of Optronics (IOP)] and Director General Defense Purchase (DGDP) as executive departments.

They proposed that the MVRDE, ARDE and IOP will be merged together under one department with the name of "Research and Development Establishment" under the Ministry of Defense Production (MoDP) (which will be an Executive department under Director General i.e. DGRDE). The reorganization of the MoDP and DGRDE will be done from within available resources.

The committee also seconded the proposal of formulation of a policy and desired that the secretary should take initiative.

The committee also agreed, in principle, with the proposals of restructuring of the MoDP, however, it advised the ministry to move a summary for its formal approval.

The cases of internal transfer/deputation will be dealt with by the secretary, the MoDP as per policy. The MoDP will ensure zero financial impact for the instant restructuring.

The meeting was started with the presentation by MoDP regarding its proposed restructuring where secretary MoDP proposed restructuring of the ministry.

Major General Khurram Anwar Qadri, DG MVRDE started with background of the restructuring plan and also afreshed the mandate of defence production as given in the Rules of Business, 1973.

He specifically highlighted the mandate of defining defence production policy, carrying out the research and development regarding the defence equipment/stores and coordinating the production activities of all the DP organizations.

While explaining the existing organizational structure, Major General Qadri stated that the ministry had two attached departments, namely, Director General Defence Purchases (DGDP) and Director General Munitions Production (DGMP).

The latter has further three subordinate offices, namely, Director General Military Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (MVRDE), Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Institute of Optronics (IOP).

Besides this, other defence production entities such as Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POFs) Board, Wah Cantt, Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Board, Taxila, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Board, Kamra, and two corporations, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), Karachi, and National Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) are also working under the MoDP. The representative also explained existing ministerial setup. The ministry also highlighted the rationale for restructuring/existing structural weakness as follows: absence of DP policy formulation and strategic decision making, lack of legal and financial experts, and limited private sector interface. In order to overcome the weakness, the ministry tabled the following proposals: re-composition of the boards of autonomous bodies, creation of new EDs within existing resources, delegation of power of secretary defence production for internal transfer/deputation of officers and staff of executive departments, a new proposed ministerial organogram, Pakistan Army Order (PAO) powers of POF Wah, HIT and PAC, Kamra are exercised by secretary, MoDP, which needs to be delegated to respective organizational heads.