Report on Good Governance and Accountability
REPORT ON GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Governance includes accountability as it comprises
the arrangements put in place to ensure that the intended outcomes for
stakeholders are defined and achieved. ‘Acting in public interest’ requires
behaving with integrity, demonstrating
strong commitment to ethical values, respecting the rule of law, ensuring
openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement [1].
Good
Governance has five basic pillars [2]:
(i) Technical and managerial competence; (ii) Organizational capacity; (3) Reliability,
predictability & the rule of law; (4) Accountability, transparency and open
information systems; and (5) Participation
Key attributes of good governance as clarified by the
work of the UN Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2000/6 [3]
are Governance, Transparency, Responsibility, Accountability, Participation
and Responsiveness to the needs of the people. Good decision-making processes, and therefore good governance, share
several characteristics. [4]
The
following measures broadly outline essentials of Good Governance, measures
taken at the Provincial level and particular measures taken at the Departmental
level in the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Pillar 1: Behaving with integrity:
At
Provincial level: A
separate Ehtesab Commission has
been established to process accountability cases. A Conflict of Interest law has
been introduced in the Provincial Assembly alongwith a whistleblowers
protection legislation which provides both protection and incentives. The
Directorate of Anti-Corruption has been revitalized. Chief Secretary personally
advocates and exemplifies behaving with integrity in every Secretaries
Committee meeting.
At Information
Department level:
(i)
A
Steering Committee has been constituted to process and select Advertising Agencies
out of the Registered ones for launching campaigns in media. For this purpose
the brief of every Department is provided to ALL registered Advertising Agencies who then
make a creative presentation to the Steering Committee. The Committee comprises
two provincial Ministers, 4-Provincial Secretaries and other Members;
(ii)
The
Advertisements granted per month to various Newspapers or Advertising Agencies,
alongwith their area in centimeters and cost in PKR are uploaded under ‘Proactive Disclosures’ on
Information Department website infokhyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk
regularly and are available for anyone & everyone to examine.
(iii)
A proposal
has been gotten approved which regulates the grants in aid being given to
press clubs. It sets in place 4-Categories of Districts and the exact amount
for all. It also envisages quarterly release of such amounts but only after the
audit report of the previous quarter is deposited to the satisfaction of
Information & Finance Departments.
Pillar 2: Strong commitment to
ethical values:
At
Provincial Level: KP Public
Procurement Regulatory Authority has been established under law and is working with
advisory & cognizance jurisdiction on all procurement of works, goods &
services. A Complaint Redressal System is working in Chief Minister's Secretariat and a
software based District Administration mechanism has been activated at Chief
Secretary’s office. Revenue Department culture is being transformed through an
exclusive complaint redressal mechanism.
At Information
Department level:
A
citizens’ portal has been established in the Automated Information Research
System (ITLA’A) and login can be created from the web site infokhyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk under the heading “Citizen’s Corner”. Citizens can
upload text, pictures and short videos. In case this includes a grievance or
complaint, they receive back a response.
(ii)
Our
Radio Pakhtunkhwa FM 92.2 Peshawar & FM 92.6 Mardan regularly air programs
eulogizing basic ethical values and advocating adherence to them.
(iii)
The
latest endeavour of web tv (badloon.tv) regularly runs programs & dramas on
ethical values.
Pillar 3: Respecting the law:
At Provincial level: The
Right to Services Law grants rights to citizens to get over 30 services in a
specific time. It also provides for cognizance of grievance through a
Commission, Mobile Civil Courts
legislation has been introduced in Provincial Assembly. The Public Private
Partnership Act 2014 ensures transparent partnerships. Computerization of land
record is in hand. Vigorous across the board and even handed anti-encroachment
campaign has been carried out proving that law is for everyone.
At Information Department level:
(i)
For the first time the meeting of the Scrutiny
Committee on newspapers has been held, that too twice in the calendar year.
After due scrutiny declarations of 157 newspapers which data proved were not
being published have been recommended for cancellation;
(ii)
Committee
also examined circulation figures and ancillary matter connected with the 100
newspapers in media list. After due scrutiny, 31 out of them were deleted from
media list and 33 out of them were placed on notice to improve within 6 months;
(iii)
Case for
establishment of Registrar Branch has been processed. The Branch will carry out
fresh Audit Bureau Of Circulation (ABC) of all newspapers to come up with exact
figures of circulation. This will lead to re-setting of rates of advertisements
to the actual circulation and saving millions for the government in this head
beside action against newspapers with exaggerated figures of circulation.
Pillar 4: Ensuring Openness
At
Provincial Level: The KP Right to Information law has been
declared the best in Pakistan and the RTI Commission is ensuring information
requested by citizens is provided complete and within time.
At Information
Department Level:
(i)
Under
the heading “Proactive Disclosure”
on web page infokhyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk
the administrative & financial powers of officers of Department have been
explicitly given. Furthermore the pay & perks of Secretary & Director
Information are also placed there;
(ii)
Similarly,
as explained earlier, all payments made to newspapers & advertising
agencies in lieu of Ads are placed in shape of monthly statements;
(iii)
The
Public Information Officers have been declared and their contact numbers and
email addresses shared – we respond on requests through emails too to save time
of citizens and also resources of government on Photostat and stationery due to
written responses.
(iv)
The
detailed budget, both permanent and developmental, is also placed on web alongwith
the expenditure. Procedure for processing of cases alongwith competent
authorities is also there.
(v)
All
Acts, Laws, Rules etc have been placed on web-page alongwith details of all
concessions granted under the Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund.
Pillar 5: Comprehensive Stakeholder
engagement
At
Provincial Level: Grass-root
engagement with the largest and most important stake-holder, i.e. citizens, has
been initiated through the local governments established through elections and
with the neighbourhood and village councils as the fundamental tier.
At Information Department
level:
(i)
Based on the aim of “Technology is our New Ideology”, the Department has initiated a
2-way proactive communication with the citizens under the ITLA’A mechanism;
(ii)
The
ITLA’A is based on input from independent sources of (a) Print, Electronic
& Social Media (b) Citizens through Citizens’ Portal (c) Independent
Reporters including interns from Department of Journalism, University of
Peshawar (d) Government Departments and regional offices in Divisions and
Districts.
(iii)
The information
is processed on software and communicated through dashboards to Chief Minister,
Ministers, Chief Secretary & Secretaries requesting a response, which is
then shared back to all the sources.
(iv)
Similarly
through “Minister Online” and other
programs of Radio Pakhtunkhwa FM 92.2 Peshawar & FM 92.6 Mardan, views and
grievances of all stakeholders are addressed as well as government’s advocacy
initiatives reach the citizens and citizens’ engagement.
(v)
Interviews
of Cabinet Members are being recorded for badloon.tv based on questions and
feedback received from citizens. These will be aired after prior announcement.
Great write up but whats about implementation, Sir
ReplyDelete