Pakistan considers creating up to 30 administrativ...

Summary

• The government would also need to determine how assets, employees, public debt and existing responsibilities would be distributed among the new units.
• Improving tax collection could help provincial and local governments finance development projects and provide better public services.
• Any plan to create additional administrative units would therefore need a clear financial framework.

AI Generated Summary

Pakistan is facing renewed debate over the size of its provinces and the need to restructure its administrative system. The discussion comes as the country’s population continues to grow. Experts believe the existing provincial structure is struggling to meet the needs of increasingly large and diverse populations. They argue that administrative reforms could improve governance, public service delivery and accountability.

A recent analysis by the World Economic Forum has highlighted the challenges countries face when population growth outpaces institutional capacity. Pakistan is among the countries confronting this issue. Its population could reach 265 million by 2030. This growth is expected to place further pressure on public services, infrastructure, education, healthcare and government resources.

The analysis points to the importance of aligning administrative boundaries with demographic and economic realities. Government structures determine how public funds are distributed, how infrastructure projects are planned and how authorities respond to public needs. When administrative units become too large, decision-making can move further away from the people affected by government policies.

Pakistan’s provincial structure presents a major challenge in this regard. Provincial governments handle important responsibilities, but their policies must serve districts with widely different populations and development needs. Lahore district has around 13 million residents, while Harnai district in Balochistan has approximately 128,000 people. This difference illustrates the difficulty of applying similar administrative approaches to areas with vastly different circumstances.

Pakistan has introduced significant constitutional and financial reforms over the years. The 18th Constitutional Amendment transferred several important responsibilities to the provinces. These included major areas of public service delivery, such as health and education. The 7th National Finance Commission Award also increased the provinces’ share of federal tax revenues from 47.5 per cent to 57.5 per cent.

However, these reforms have not fully addressed the distance between provincial decision-makers and local communities. Many districts continue to face difficulties in accessing effective public services. Limited administrative capacity and uneven development have also affected government performance.