OGRA and the Govt.

Though a welcome news that the govt. has overruled the increase in the prices of fuel suggested by OGRA yet, it put me to thinking as to what the heck these Regulatory Authorities are doing in Pakistan? Don’t they make their recommendations after taking all pros and cons into consideration in the best interest of Pakistan that the govt (read PM) just overrules them ostensibly in the public interest but in reality to gain cheap political mileage? Aren’t these regulatory bodies manned by the professionals and experts? Aren’t they responsible (in fact should be accountable) for regulating their respective bodies in the best interest of Pakistan?  If yes, then how can the govt. overrule their expert advice? Wouldn’t it not be detrimental to the best interest of Pakistan? Or is the PM or the FM more competent than these experts to overrule them that perfunctorily? If it is so, then why have them in the first place?  There are about 18 such regul! atory bodies in the country: the State Bank of Pakistan, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Competition Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the Drug Regulatory Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, the Private Education Regulatory Authority, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the Pakistan Engineering Council, the Pakistan Nursing Council, the Pakistan Tibb Council, the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. 

And by doing away with them the national exchequer will save BILLIONS.

But since all these regulatory bodies function directly under the government and those who man these bodies are hired and fired by the government, they just take down lying anything thrown at them. These authorities and bodies seem to be more concerned about their jobs than their concern for Pakistan and its people that their well considered expert opinion is turned down or overruled by the powers that be and they don’t adopt the honourable course of tendering their resignation in protest.

Honourable course of action! What bird is that?

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)