Federal Government to Eliminate 60% of Vacant Permanent Posts in Accounts System

Key points:

• The federal government will eliminate 60 % of the vacant permanent posts that exist within the federal accounts system.
• The decision has been issued by the Controller General of Accounts, with instructions to start implementation immediately.
• The move is intended to curb unnecessary bureaucracy, lower the public‑sector payroll burden and ensure that remaining vacancies are filled on merit.
• It forms part of a broader public‑sector reform drive aimed at improving fiscal discipline and operational efficiency.

The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) has sent a circular to all relevant departments ordering them to review their vacancy registers and to cancel the majority of unfilled permanent positions. The directive applies to the entire federal accounts apparatus, which handles budgeting, expenditure monitoring and financial reporting for ministries and agencies across the country.

Officials say the measure is designed to address the persistent swelling of Pakistan’s civil‑service payroll, which consumes a sizeable share of the national budget. By trimming the pool of vacant posts, the government hopes to reduce recurring salary outlays, free up fiscal space for development spending and align staffing levels with the actual workload of each department. The policy follows earlier attempts to rationalise public‑sector appointments under the current administration’s fiscal consolidation agenda, which has been reinforced by conditions set by international lenders.

While the reduction will likely ease the strain on the payroll, it may also affect candidates who have been awaiting entry into the federal accounts system, especially recent graduates and mid‑career professionals. Trade unions and some political factions have warned that abrupt cancellations could demoralise the bureaucracy and create bottlenecks in critical financial functions. The CGA has therefore instructed ministries to retain a core set of essential positions and to conduct any further recruitment strictly on the basis of merit and demonstrable need.

The next steps involve a systematic audit of vacancy lists, issuance of cancellation notices for the targeted 60 % of posts, and a re‑prioritisation of recruitment to focus on roles deemed indispensable for the smooth functioning of the federal accounts machinery. This action is expected to be followed by similar reviews in other ministries as part of the government's ongoing effort to streamline public‑sector staffing and improve overall administrative efficiency.