The government has decided to restructure 441 state entities in a bid to simplify government affairs under a restructuring strategy.It has constituted a high-level implementation committee for working out an implementation strategy.Sources told The Express Tribune that out of the total state entities, the government was planning to surrender 117 entities through privatisation, closing down, merging or handing over to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment. However, the government will keep 324 entities in two categories.Under a plan, the 441 organisational entities have been divided into seven categories. Under the first option, 43 entities will either be privatised or transferred to Sarmaya-e-Pakistan Limited. Apart from these, 14 entities will be handed over to provincial governments, Islamabad Capital Territory and Gilgit-Baltistan in light of the 18th Amendment.The implementation committee will work out a plan for closing down eight entities in cases where they have lost justification for their continued existence. A strategy will be framed to merge 35 entities with other entities which have overlapping and duplication of responsibilities.Seventeen entities will be re-organised as training and policy support institutes. The federal government will keep 87 executive departments and 237 autonomous bodies.The government had formed a task force on austerity and restructuring with the aim of restructuring and re-organisation of various state entities at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.The task force carried out a comprehensive assessment of each organisational entity working under the government and proposed their regrouping and restructuring aimed at achieving greater efficiency, effective decision-making and improved service delivery.The task force examined all the 441 entities and proposed their division into seven categories.In order to simplify affairs of the government, the multiple categories of entities working under ministries and divisions had been proposed to be classified into two broader categories - autonomous bodies and executive departments.The relevant ministry and division will be responsible for policy and plan formulation and monitoring while execution and implementation will be the responsibility of autonomous bodies and executive departments.Similarly, the regulatory agencies will be independent of the line ministry and division and will be located in the Cabinet Division for administrative purposes. Functions, powers and criteria for dividing various entities between autonomous bodies and executive departments have been given in the task force report.According to the report, it will be important to put in place a structured implementation and follow-up mechanism at the appropriate level. The task force suggested the constitution of an implementation committee comprising secretaries of relevant ministries and departments. Establishment Division secretary was proposed to head the committee whereas secretaries of finance, law and justice, Cabinet Division special secretary and the secretary concerned would be its members.However, the government formed the implementation committee under the chairmanship of adviser to prime minister on institutional reforms and austerity for dealing with executive departments and autonomous bodies.Minister for defence, secretaries of the Establishment Division, finance, law, cabinet and the ministry and division concerned will be its members.The committee will work in consultation with the task force in order to execute the implementation strategy and work plan. It will conduct a cost and benefit analysis related to the entities and expected outcome of the proposed transformation with reference to service delivery. It will also work on constitutional and legal considerations.Published in The Express Tribune, July 14, 2019.Like Business on Facebook , follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.