CAA officers in a fix over restructuring

[Abbas Ali]

Aviation regulator says no plans to cut jobs

By Saad Hasan

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is contemplating to appoint qualified professionals on a few high-profile posts and also intends to outsource some of its functions as part of a proposed restructuring plan, sources told The News on Friday.

As the board of directors of CAA is yet to approve the plan, past experience and sense of alienation have made some CAA officers skeptical about the future outlook of the aviation regulator.

“Rumours about downsizing and outsiders being hired to fill new posts have brought down our efficiency to the minimum,” said a CAA officer who wished not to be named. “Visit any department and you will find restructuring being discussed there.”

A couple of weeks ago, the CAA organised a workshop for its employees with the objective of outlining a strategic plan for transformation of the authority. The consultants hired for the purpose have proposed trifurcation of the CAA into regulatory, air traffic and airport services.

According to documents available with this scribe, the proposal seeks to induct professionals into the authority from the market to fill a number of key posts.

Chief Executive of Airport Management Services, who will have all the airports with their auxiliary operations under his jurisdiction, is one such post.

“The CAA has so many competent officers awaiting promotions and people who know nothing about aviation are deputed in their place,” another aggrieved officer said, referring to the practice of deputation whereby officers other than the CAA employees are inducted on contract basis.

Citing examples of other public sector organisations, he emphasised that efficiency could not be enhanced by hiring high-salaried professionals on temporary grounds.

“At least, the CAA director general should take his officers into confidence before any new development,” he added.

The outline of the proposed plan indicates that only a few appointments from outside the CAA will be made, but promotions which are withheld and about 130 posts that lay vacant have fueled speculation among the CAA officers.

Director General CAA Farooq Rahmatullah had told a press conference at the end of the aforementioned workshop that promotions were pending due to the ongoing restructuring process.

What has added fuel to the flames is the initiative already taken for proposed outsourcing of janitorial and facilitation services at the airports. In that regard, the Administration Office of CAA had already gathered information about employees associated with these services, sources disclosed.

The restructuring plan also envisages outsourcing legal, vigilance and transport arms of the CAA along with some other functions.

Although this move still requires endorsement of the CAA’s board of directors, headed by Secretary Defence, questions are being raised about the future of permanent employees and daily-wage workers.

“There are thousands of workers associated with these departments throughout the country. Are we going to be adjusted somewhere else?” asked the perplexed officer.

To this, CAA spokesman Pervez George responds by saying that there are no plans to dismiss anyone from his duty.

“The restructuring is only aimed at improving efficiency of the organisation.

“No one should worry about his job as the CAA will use same employees to move forward,” he remarked, adding the initiative would help to modernise the organisation by replacing file culture with IT-based system. “Restructuring is being done for betterment of the organisation and to facilitate passengers.”

Source: The News

On the Net: Civil Aviation Authority - Pakistan

[FMC]

Hire MBAs from IBA in CAA and meet the same fate as PIA.

[fatah]

The government should just privatize all the major international airports. Even a quasi socialist country such as India has done it with Bombay and Delhi. The result being billions of dollars being poured to make those airports into world class facilities. Sadly we will go nowhere as long as CAA is in charge. This highly corrupt organization is filled with incompetent people who either bribed their way into their jobs or were sifarshees.

As usual the government will keep on sleeping and give other countries a head start of ten to fifteen years before they too realize that we have been left behind.

[PK777]

^ Sad but true... just take a look at the new Lahore airport, the project is nowhere near what it was meant to me!

[atmalik]

and the thing is that we are still contemplating about doing things that need to be done make them all competitive

[fatah]

PK777
"Sad but true... just take a look at the new Lahore airport, the project is nowhere near what it was meant to me!"

I completely agree, its really not up to the mark. The only shop in the domestic side is a joke. The shop has a very limited collection of reading material to buy, and the rest of the stuff on sale is more suitable for a shop at a bus stand!

The people at CAA are a sorry lot! For example you have a lot of people who really dont belong there such as ex DG Coast Guards. This man who made tens of millions allowing all types of contraband to enter and leave Pakistan is now working for CAA. What do people like him and all the sifarshees who clog CAA know about running airports. History has shown that the CAA has single handidly wiped Pakistan off the map for most major airlines. However I do know they don't give a damn about anything except that the status quo should be maintained.

Unfortunately Privatization of our Airports is the only way to go.

[PK777]

With the Govt and CAA having claws in everything - I doubt the privatisation will take place in the near future...

[Viscount]

The private property of GOP. CAA is the personal property of PAF. SO!!