ISLAMABAD – The government has decided to declare five entities of theMinistry of Defense Production as autonomous bodies including:
1. Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POFs) Board, Wah Cantt, 2. Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Board, Taxila, 3. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Board, Kamra, 4. Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), Karachi, 5. National Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC)
The decision has been taken in the last meeting (13th) of theimplementation committee, which was held in Institutional Reforms Cell(IRC) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Ishrat Husain, an adviser to the PM oninstitutional reforms and austerity.
The implementation committee agreed on the categorization of these fiveentities as proposed autonomous bodies except the Defense Export PromotionOrganization (DEPO), which may be re-designed as an executive departmentinstead of an autonomous body.
The committee has agreed to the categorization of Director GeneralMunitions Production (DGMP) excluding [military vehicles research anddevelopment establishment (MVRDE), Armament Research and DevelopmentEstablishment (ARDE) and Institute of Optronics (IOP)] and Director-GeneralDefense Purchase (DGDP) as executive departments.
They proposed that the MVRDE, ARDE, and IOP will be merged together underone department with the name of “Research and Development Establishment”under the Ministry of Defense Production (MoDP) (which will be an Executivedepartment under Director-General i.e. DGRDE). The reorganization of theMoDP and DGRDE will be done from within available resources.
It also seconded the proposal of forming a policy and desired that thesecretary should take initiative. It has agreed in principle with theproposals of restructuring of the MoDP, however, it advised the ministry tomove summary for its formal approval.
The cases of internal transfer/deputation will be dealt with by thesecretary MoDP as per policy. The MoDP will ensure zero financial impactfor instant restructuring.
Read Top Stories
The meeting was started with a presentation by MoDP regarding its proposedrestructuring where secretary MoDP proposed restructuring of the ministry.
Major General Khurram Anwar Qadri, DG MVRDE started with a background ofthe restructuring plan and also refreshed the mandate of defense productionas given in the Rules of Business, 1973.
He specifically highlighted the mandate of defining defence productionpolicy, carrying out the research and development regarding the defenceequipment/stores and coordinating the production activities of all the DPorganizations.
While explaining the existing organizational structure, Major General Qadristated that the ministry had two attached departments, namely, DirectorGeneral Defence Purchases (DGDP) and Director General Munitions Production(DGMP).
The latter has further three subordinate offices, namely, Director GeneralMilitary Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (MVRDE), ArmamentResearch and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Institute of Optronics(IOP).
Besides this, other defense production entities such as Pakistan OrdinanceFactories (POFs) Board, Wah Cantt, Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Board,Taxila, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Board, Kamra, and twocorporations, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), Karachi, andNational Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) are also working underthe MoDP. The representative also explained the existing ministerial setup.
Absence of DP policy formulation and strategic decision making, lack oflegal and financial experts, and limited private sector interface werenoted down as rationale for restructuring/existing structural weakness.
