Economist Kaiser Bengali resigns from govt committees
Dr Kaiser Bengali, an economist and member of three government committees, has resigned from all his positions, citing dissatisfaction with the government’s approach to reducing expenditures.
Bengali announced his resignation from the Austerity Committee, the Right Sizing Committee, and the Government Expenditure Committee, in letters sent to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Cabinet Secretary Kamran Afzal.
He explained that the government did not appear committed to implementing the committees’ recommendations, which included abolishing 17 divisions and 50 departments.
The economist criticised the government for protecting the jobs of higher-grade officers while laying off lower-cadre employees in an attempt to cut costs.
He pointed out that eliminating officer positions could save Rs 30 billion, but the government instead opted to reduce the workforce in Grades 1 to 16, a move he argued would further damage the economy.
Bengali also commented on the country’s dire economic situation, noting that international financial institutions, including the IMF, were reluctant to extend further loans to Pakistan. He added that the economic strain was severely affecting households, leading to an increase in suicides.
