Armed forces division and the PERC
Thanks for the comprehensive report on the activities of the Armed Forces Division (Armed Forces Division dwarfs ministry power, 5 July 2005). You quoted from persons who remained anonymous but you failed to mention the recommendations of the Public Expenditure Review Commission, a commission created by the present government immediately after its taking office. This Commission, headed by M Hafizuddin Khan, an ex auditor-general, in its final report submitted in December 2003, recommended that the AFD be merged with the ministry of defence. Apart from downsizing the government, this action, the Commission mentioned, would save expenditure and result in avoiding duplication of the same activities. The Commission also recommended that the Ministry of Liberation War be merged with the defence ministry. Unfortunately, this excellent report on government expenditure did not see the light of the day, probably because it made some rather bold recommendations that the government found uncomfortable. I suggest your paper organise a roundtable conference, where politicians, economists, budget specialists and representatives from the civil society and the government could discuss the PERC's report in detail and examine the possibility of their being implemented.
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