GOOD GOVERNANCE

(CSS-2022)

MEANING / DEFINITION

1. Good Governance is generally conceived as the exercise of economic,

political and administrative authority in the public and private spheres to
manage a country’s affairs at all levels to improve the quality of life of the
people.

2. According to UNDP, “Governance is the exercise of economic, political, and

administrative authority to manage a country's affairs at all levels and the
means by which states promote social cohesion and integration, and ensure
the well being of their populations. It embraces all methods used to
distribute power and manage public resources, and the organizations that
shape government and the execution of policy. It encompasses the
mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups
articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations
and resolve their differences.”

3. According to World Bank, “Governance is the manner in which power is

exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources
for development.”

EXPLANATION

The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply

"governance" means: the process of decision-making and the process by which
decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in
several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance,
national governance, and local governance.

Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in

governance vary depending on the level of government. In rural areas, for
example, other actors may include influential land lords, associations of farmers,
cooperatives, NGOs, religious leaders, political parties, etc. The situation in
urban areas is much more complex. At the national level, in addition to the above
actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc.
may play a role in decision-making or in influencing the decision-making process.

CHARACTERISTICS / ELEMENTS / PRINCIPLES OF GOOD

GOVERNANCE

Good governance has a number of characteristics. It is participatory, consensus

oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable
and inclusive, and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized,
the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most
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vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the
present and future needs of society.

1. Participation: Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of

good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate
intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that
representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the
most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision making.
Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of
association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the
other hand are necessary elements of good governance.

Moreover, government structures should be flexible enough to offer beneficiaries

and others the opportunity to improve the design and implementation of public
programmes and projects. The specific areas of action would be in the
development of participatory development processes through, for example,
participation of beneficiaries, a public/private-sector interface, decentralization /
empowerment of local government, and cooperation with non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).

2. Rule of law: Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are
enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly
those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent
judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.

3. Transparency: Transparency means that decisions taken and their

enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. In addition,
it also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those
who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. Moreover, enough
information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and
mediums.

4. Responsiveness: Good governance requires that institutions and processes

try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.

5. Consensus Oriented: There are several actors and many view points in a
given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in
society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of
the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad
long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development
and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an
understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or
community.

6. Equity and Inclusiveness: A society's well being depends on ensuring that all
its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the
mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most
vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being.

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7. Effectiveness and Efficiency: Good governance means that processes and
institutions produce results that meet the needs of society, while making the best
use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of
good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the
protection of the environment.
a. Efficiency: Efficiency is the measure of how economically resources are
used to produce the results needed.
b. Effectiveness: Effectiveness is a measure of the extent to which the
decisions/policies and implemental processes achieve their objectives.

8. Accountability: Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not

only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society
organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional
stakeholders. Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether
decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution.
In general, an organization or an institution is accountable to those who are
affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without
transparency and the rule of law.

Public officials should be answerable for government behavior and responsive to

the entity from which they derive authority. The accountability of public sector
institutions is facilitated by evaluation of their economic performance. The
suggested specific areas of action would be in the building of government
capacity through, for example, public-sector management, public-enterprise
management and reforms, public financial management and civil-service
reforms.

9. Subsidiary: It means that decision making takes place at the level most
appropriate for the concerned issue (usually the lowest level possible).

10. Sustainability: The likelihood of the positive effects of an intervention

(decision making process and decision as the result of that process) will persist
for an extended period after the intervention ends.

11. Predictability: Laws and policies should exist that regulate society and that
are applied fairly and consistently. Predictability requires the state and its
subsidiary agencies to be bound by and answerable to the legal system in the
same way as private enterprises and individuals. The specific area of action
could be the development of predictable legal frameworks for private-sector
development.

12. Strategic Vision: Leaders and the public should have a broad and long-term
perspective on good governance and human development, together with a sense
of what is needed for such development. There should also be an understanding
of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is
grounded.

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IMPORTANCE / IMPACTS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

Good governance is a real driver behind a country's development. It protects

human rights, delivers justice, maintains law and order, and provides equal
opportunities to the masses. It delivers the fruits of progress and development to
all and sundry. It is required at all levels of society and state. In today's globalized
world, good governance helps to meet the challenges of the world. It makes the
system of the state effective and efficient. People of the country enjoy equal
rights under good governance. Minorities live freely and exercise their religion.
No one considers himself above law. Everyone, no matter how influential he is, is
accountable before law. Corruption is unheard of in a country where good
governance prevails. Not only government officials but also common citizens are
aware of their duties and play their role sincerely. In such cooperative
environment, economy boosts and investment increases leading to the prosperity
of the country. The main impacts of good governance are listed below:

1. It helps in the promotion of national cohesion. Under healthy environment of

good governance, people always work with hand in hand for the betterment
of the country.
2. It creates the feelings of nationalism and integrates the units of the country.
3. It ensures the supremacy of institutions. Every institution works within its
borders of limitation.
4. It ensures the participation of both men and women in every sector of life.
5. Judiciary enjoys full freedom under good government.
6. It also endorses the supremacy of the constitution.
7. It maintains rule of law in the country.
8. It guards democracy and guarantees political stability.
9. It assures the freedom of media.
10. Equal educational opportunities are ensured.
11. It pledges for socio-economic development.
12. Just distribution of resources among the federating units of the country is
made possible
13. It makes the country a welfare state which provides social securities to its
masses
14. Government’s writ is strengthened on all fronts.

CAUSES OF BAD GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN

BACKGROUND: Pakistan inherited multiplicity of problems. The problems like

accession of the princely states, refugees and their accommodation problem,
canal water dispute, division of assets, issue of national language, and issue of
Pakhtoonistan became its fate. All these problems kept popping up their head
again and again in one form or the other. Most tragic of all was the death of the
Quaid-e-Azam. Since then, no other leader of the Quaid's calibre has risen to
lead the country like him. That's why the lack of unity, shallowness of faith and
dearth of discipline have pushed the country into a quagmire. We are passing
through the time of extreme institutional imbalance. The institutions have almost
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abandoned their responsibility. Successive military coups have weakened the
political institutions. In addition, the rampant corruption is further rotting them.

CAUSES:

1. Poor Relations between the Centre and the Provinces: Poor relations
between the Centre and the Provinces of the country are depicting the story
of bad governance. Coordination between them is essential to run the
machinery of the state smoothly. On the contrary, the Centre and the
Provinces have always been at loggerhead with each other. Disharmony
over natural resources and other issues have kept Pakistan under strain.
The tragic fall of Dhaka was the result of such contentious relations. That's
why Pakistan has always been experiencing political instability. These
conditions have again and again provided army a rationale to topple the
civilian government.

2. Army Interventions: Army's frequent interventions have never given

democracy a fair chance to flourish in our country. Our political leaders are
also responsible for this predicament. They have always tried to achieve
their vested interests in the garb of politics. They have never respected the
norm of democracy. Judiciary has also been the victim of such political
instability. Resultantly, our country has failed to develop healthy political
institutions, a lasting democracy and impartial judiciary.

3. Weak Judicial System: Absence of independent judiciary is also

hampering Pakistan’s way towards achieving good governance. Delayed
justice is due to poor governance. Justice delayed is justice denied, which
directly contributes to powerlessness of the poor. Incompetent judges,
especially of the lower Courts, have also greatly hampered the timely
administration of justice, hence made the judiciary weak. When the
grievances of the masses are not addressed, they resort to violent solutions
of their problems. This state of condition results in the deterioration of rule of
law.

4. Weak Political System: Every time we have a coalition government in

Pakistan, which is normally a weak government. Small political parties often
try to topple down such a government. Therefore, the government turns
towards bureaucracy for its continuation.

5. Lack of Transparency: Corruption has entered into all facets of national

life. “Every year in Pakistan more than 500 billion rupees lapse in civil
Bureaucracy.” (Qaiser Bangali)

6. Lack of Accountability: There is no inter-departmental and intra-

departmental audit in a free sense.

7. Fragile Economy: FDI has shrunk on account of terrorism and political

instability. Furthermore, energy crises have created burden on the
government exchequer.
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8. Poverty: 40% population of Pakistan is living below the poverty line (UN
Reports).

9. Over-population: The present population of Pakistan is about 210 Million,

with 2.4% annual growth rate. Pakistan, at present, is the 5 th most populous
country in the world.

10. State Power is used only for the Benefit of the Elite: State power does
not protect citizens from the excesses of the powerful. The system of
justice, it is presumed, has been used to the advantage of the rich and the
powerful. The criminal acts of the elite are an accepted phenomenon in
Pakistan.

11. Fears for the Decentralization of Power: The leadership is afraid of

decentralization of power. That’s why many important civilian decisions are
enormously affected by non-governing bodies.

12. Collapse of Administrative Structure: Administrative structure in Pakistan

is outdated and not revised as did by the developed world.

13. Scarcity of Managerial and Technical Skills: Our management system

does not compete with good governed states, because of lack of
management and advance technical tools and skills.

14. Nepotism and lack of Merit System: The main evil behind poor
governance is recruitment of people by favoritism and nepotism.

15. Red-tapism: Practice of red-tapism is common in government offices,

corporations and other large organizations, which often made route of
efficiency hard. It is an important cause of the collapse of governance.

16. Negative Role of Media: Media is not playing its due role for pointing out
flaws of systems, but it is exaggerating on unimportant issues and causing
hue and cry among people, which are leading to poor governance.

17. Sectarianism and Militancy: Sectarianism and extremism are major

threats to good governance, as they bow the seeds of anarchy.

18. Kitchen Cabinets: Kitchen cabinets being conceited and haughty in their
aims have always benefited themselves on national cost. Resultantly,
governance has weakened in Pakistan.

19. Flaws in Policy Making and Implementation: One of the grave issues
behind poor governance is inability to form an objective based policy and
then its implementation.

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20. Anarchy caused by Non-state Actors: Various non-state actors are also
playing malicious role in destroying political, economical and social fabrics
of the society by spreading violence and fear.

21. Institutional Tussle: When institutions surpass constitution, tussle among

them is generated, and same is the case of Pakistan.

IMPACTS OF BAD GOVERNANCE / INDICATORS OF BAD

GOVERNANCE

Owing to poor governance, the government is losing control over law and order
situation. When individuals put themselves ahead of institutions, they set a bad
example. Target killing, robbery and other crimes have become norm of the day.
The government seems helpless in this regard.

Impacts:
1. Economic Meltdown: Worsening conditions of public order have caused
economic instability. Poor law and order condition has kept the investors
away from our country. Economic mismanagement is further aggravating
the conditions. There is a great economic disparity. The rich are getting
richer, and the poor are becoming poorer. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
is shrinking on account of terrorism and political instability. Another major
problem is Pakistan's huge debt and its continued dependence on financial
aid.

2. Foreign Debt: Slow economic growth coupled with government's lavish

spending is pushing Pakistan deeper and deeper into debt trap. Each
successive government, civilian or military, prefers to have a gigantic
administrative set-up. This is done to please the allied parties to prolong
their rule. Irrespective of the burden on government treasury, government
keeps on borrowing more and more to meet government officials’ princely
and lavish lifestyle.

3. Inflation: Tax system in Pakistan is also inefficient and unsatisfactory. Ratio

of direct taxes is more than indirect taxes. Tax evasion is common. The rich
are reluctant to pay tax, while the poor are paying tax even on the purchase
of a match box. This situation has resulted in high rate of inflation.

4. Weak Accountability: Accountability which is the key note of good

governance is lacking in our country. No one seems to consider himself
accountable to law. Everyone whatever illegal he does thinks it as his right.
It is a sort of deluge which is engulfing our country and giving rise to many
problems.

5. Widespread Corruption: In the absence of accountability, corruption has

become rampant in our society. It has become so common that only few
from clerical staff to high officials are free from this disease. Transparency
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 International has ranked Pakistan as 34th most corrupt nation in the world.
Corruption hurts economy by raising transaction costs. It also depresses
economic growth by lowering public investment. Only a part of the amount
of budget is spent on public projects. The rest is embezzled by government
functionaries and contractors.

6. Poverty: Mismanagement of funds and government’s incapacity to maintain

the prices of basic commodities is raising inflation and poverty. Poverty
crushed people are being further crushed with inflation. Purchasing power is
decreasing day by day, and people are unable to make their both ends
meet. Grain is getting beyond their reach. Along with it, unequal distribution
of agriculture land, unfair distribution of income and increasing population
are also responsible for this predicament.

7. Unemployment: Government's inability to provide employment also depicts

the picture of bad governance. Deteriorating conditions of agricultural and
industrial sectors because of government’s negligence are further adding to
unemployment. Rising unemployment is causing brain drain. While the
educated youth who cannot afford to go out of the country, they fall victim to
frustration. Resultantly, they indulge in the world of crime and other evils.

8. Illiteracy: Bad governance in Pakistan has caused mass poverty. The poor
cannot afford to send their children to schools. And owing to unemployment
many people think, “What is the benefit of that education which cannot
provide any respectable livelihood?” On the other side, the education
budget in Pakistan is about 2% of GDP, but this budget is never fairly
utilized for education purpose, and this pathetic situation has caused mass
illiteracy.

9. Crises of Energy and Water: The crises of water and energy are disasters
for Pakistan. All these crises, no doubt, are the products of poor
governance. Water shortage can be attributed to Indian hegemony and
government's inability to utilize available water resources efficiently. Water
shortage has badly affected our agricultural sector and also given birth to
energy crisis. Heavy dependence on hydel power and failure to utilize
renewable resources has given our country a nasty blow in terms of low
electricity production. It has also crippled our industrial sector.

10. Food Crisis: Food crisis is another result of bad governance. Feeding
people is a national responsibility. The government has failed to ensure food
security. People are dying to get a bag of flour, and they have to stand in
queue for hours to get subsidized flour. Food shortage in an agricultural
country is something quite unacceptable.

11. The Misuse of Power has been institutionalized by the rise of Mafias:
Different mafias have gained access to the political system. These mafias
use the executive discretion of the political authority in appointments,
formulation of public policies, disposal of public assets, and the purchases
of goods and services.
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12. Corruption: Corruption and cheating have become institutionalized, and
more dangerously are well developed habits. It is generally believed that all
institutions of public service have been corrupted. This situation has
weakened public confidence in political structure, executive authority and
judicial system.

Regulatory systems are believed to be not for the public welfare but for
economic exploitations and suppression of the vulnerable sections of the
society. Even the security of life and property is generally believed to be
non-existent.

13. Absence of rule of law: Bad governance in Pakistan has resulted in poor
law and order situation, and absence of rule of law is causing restlessness
and chaos in the society.

MEASURES / REMEDIES TO OVERCOME BAD GOVERNANCE

1. Implementation of Principle of Separation of Power: There should be
balance among all the institutions of the country. All institutions must work
within their constitutional limits. It will ensure the proper functioning of the
governmental machinery.

2. Improvement in Relation between the Centre and the Provinces: The

Centre and the Federating Units must develop good relation. All the thorny
issues between them should be resolved with the sincerity of purpose.
Grievances of the Provinces should be addressed on priority basis.

3. Equal Distribution of Natural Resources: Provinces must be given right

and due share over their natural resources.

4. Dispensation of Justice: Justice is a key to good governance. Access to

cheap and quick justice should be made possible for everyone.
Dispensation of justice must be irrespective of class, creed and religion.

5. Revision of Economic Policies: Economic policies should be revised.

They must be reformed to meet the demands of the poor. Agricultural and
industrial sectors must be revolutionized to attract investment and
strengthen the economy.

6. Austerity through Right-Sizing: Cut-down of extra expenditures by right-

sizing in the administrative setup is the dire need of the hour. It would be
greatly helpful in reducing debt burden on our country.

7. Strong Anti-Corruption Laws: All the institutions responsible for

maintaining accountability should be granted full authority. Legislation
should be enacted to improve accountability. It must be started from the top.
Everyone, no matter how powerful he is, must be brought to book.

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8. Accountability Courts be strengthened: All the cases of corruption
should be decided on priority basis to check the wheel of corruption. For this
purpose, anti-corruption / accountability courts should be strengthened.

9. Media be made Free: Freedom of media is the real essence of good

governance. Media is the fourth pillar of the state and is instrumental in
ensuring good governance. Media should be made independent.

10. Investment in socio-economic Development: Allocation of seven per

cent of the GDP for education, three per cent for population control, and
three per cent for poverty alleviation should be ensured.

11. To make civil servants a non-partisan as it was designed to be, they should
be kept away from doing politics.

12. Transparency in every department and in every project

13. Increase in the salaries of Public Servants

14. Reduce the discretional powers of civil servants and make them answerable
for each of their actions

15. All three tiers of government should be allowed to work in their jurisdiction.
The Provincial Governments should be allowed to work in their allotted
spheres.

16. Delegation of power through local government system

17. Accountability of all public and private institutions

18. Involvement of technocracy along with bureaucracy in the public sector

organizations is the need of the hour

ROLE OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

To attain good governance to a maximum extent, the role of public servants is

very important. They must:

1. Successfully design and implement development policies and programs

2. Provide efficient, cost-effective and responsiveness public services

3. Promote, through policies and programs, a sustained environment that will

facilitate the emergence of a strong and vibrant private sector and civil
society

4. Establish and manage an effective and transparent regulatory and legal

framework to guide the growth and development of the private sector,

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 reward innovativeness and risk-taking, and adequately protect consumers
and the environment

5. Address, more vigorously, the issue of transparency and accountability in

public service

6. Strengthen institutions that promote and enforce the rule of law for
legitimacy, social stability, and protection of basic rights

7. Enhance the role of civil society in development policy management, and

constructively engage all other stakeholders in dialogue in order to promote
participatory development, consensus building and responsive governments

8. Put in place a sound framework for managing public resources, and

manage the changing role of the public sector in the context of globalization,
market economy, multiparty democracy, and information revolution, which
have significant implications for openness in public sector management,
innovation and the spread of best practices in development policy
management

9. Cultivate and nurture an environment that will accelerate a sustainable

development.

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Principles of Good United Nations

Governance Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Participation  “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression…” (Article 19)
 “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful
assembly and association” (Article 20)
 “Everyone has the right to take part in the
government of his country, directly or through
freely chosen representatives” (Article 21)
 “Everyone has duties to the community…”
(Article 29)
Consensus Orientation  “The will of the people shall be the basis of the
authority of government: this shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections which shall be
by universal and equal suffrage…” (Article 21)
 “In the exercise of his rights and freedoms,
everyone shall be subject only to such
limitations as are determined by law solely for
the purpose of securing due recognition and
respect for the rights and freedoms of others
and of meeting the just requirements of morality,
public order and the general welfare in a
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 democratic society” (Article 29)

Equity  “All human beings are born free and equal in

dignity and rights…” (Article 1)
 “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour,
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin, property, birth or other
status” (Article 2)
 “Whereas the recognition of the inherent dignity
and of the equal and inalienable rights of all
members of the human family is the foundation
of freedom, justice and peace in the world”
(Preamble)

Rule of Law  “Whereas it is essential …that human rights

should be protected by the rule of law”
(Preamble)
 “All are equal before the law” (Article 7)
 “Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and
public hearing by an independent and impartial
tribunal…” (Article 10)
 “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest,
detention or exile” (Article 5)
 “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his
property" (Article 17)

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The effectiveness of a system of governance is always gauged by the extent to

which public interest is promoted through equity promotion, poverty reduction,
and opportunity creation for people, so that they may enjoy economic, social, and
political freedoms. No governance can be called good unless it enables upward
mobility on the human freedom index. Governance is good only if it helps people
secure their basic freedoms to live and to live happily and freely.

The crisis which is at the root of all other crises is that of governance. The
problems like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, corruption, energy crisis, and
water and food shortage are weakening our country at its roots. In this gloomy
scenario, good governance is the dire need of the hour. Though good
governance has always been a dream for our country, this dream can be
transformed into a reality. Sincere and dedicated leadership can make this dream
come true. However, it cannot be achieved in a wink of an eye. It requires a great
sacrifice. Let us hope that our leaders are smart enough to introduce much
needed reforms in the system. Otherwise, the alternatives are too grim to
contemplate.

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