By GHULAM ABBAS
ISLAMABAD: In line with the government’s policy to streamline ministries and state-owned entities (SOEs), the Ministry of Housing and Works constituted a committee on Friday for the merger of the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHA-F) with the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).
The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCOSOE), in its meeting held on August 12, 2024, categorized PHA-F as an 2 medium term. However, it issued directives to the Housing Ministry that while PHA-F would not be abolished, it should be restructured and reformed.R
To explore the merger, the Housing Ministry formed a committee led by the Additiona22W2wl Secretary of Housing and Works. The committee include s the Senior Joint Secretary (Administration) of the Housing Ministry, Joint Secretary (Estate) of the Housing Ministry, Director General FGEHA, and Chief Executive Offirefor22W2wRmede committee’s terms of reference (TORs) include reviewing and comparing the existing functions, organizational structures, and legal frameworks of both entities to identify overlapping roles and areas for synergy. It will also analyze the financial health, assets, liabilities, and operational efficiency of both organizations to assess potential cost savings and benefits from the merger.
Additionally, the committee will examine the human resource implications of the merger, including staffing levels, skillsets, potential redundancies, and propose strategies for effective workforce integration. Legal and regulatory challenges related to the merger will be identified, and a plan to address these will be developed. The committee will also propose a new name for the merged entity. Secretariat support for the committee will be provided by PHA-F.
Established in 1999, PHA-Foundation is a public company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and was created to address the housing shortfall in the country. It has built several housing units for the general public and federal government employees in Islamabad and provincial capitals.
Meanwhile, another key entity under the Ministry of Housing and Works, the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD), responsible for executing infrastructure development across the country, has been dissolved by the federal cabinet as part of the government’s initiative to reduce the size of the federal government.
