Following the resignation of Dr. Kaiser Bengali from government committees over concerns about biased rightsizing, the government responded by describing his decision as stemming from a communication gap or misunderstanding. A government spokesperson clarified that the rightsizing initiative is not limited to lower-grade positions (grades 1 to 16) but also targets higher-ranking officials, including those in grades 17 to 22. The spokesperson highlighted that the rightsizing committee has already reviewed six ministries, leading to the dissolution of one ministry and the merger of two others, potentially making around 60,000 positions surplus.
Dr. Bengali, a prominent economist, had stepped down from three key committees responsible for austerity, rightsizing, and expenditure reduction, citing concerns that the government was disproportionately targeting lower-grade employees while sparing higher-ranking officials. He warned that the economy is in dire straits due to mounting debts and criticized the government for not implementing the committee’s recommendations effectively.
In response, the government asserted that the committee’s review of government and autonomous bodies is impartial and comprehensive. The spokesperson also mentioned that the government is working on a compulsory retirement package for civil servants, aiming to apply it across all grades without favoritism.
Despite Dr. Bengali’s resignation, the government maintains that its efforts to stabilize the economy through austerity measures, rightsizing, and privatisation remain on track.
