FBR Performance Management Reform Implements Significant Transformation to Civil Services
Pakistan’s civil service environment is being drastically transformed with the introduction of the FBR performance management reform. The new system, approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is now in full operation in the Federal Board of Revenue, both in the Customs and Inland Revenue departments.
Earlier, the performance reviews were not credible with nearly all the officers being graded as “very good” or “outstanding.” In the Income Tax Group, 99% of officers were certified as top performers on integrity. The unrealistic trend has been replaced with a more honest and realistic model of evaluation. Just 40% of officers now fall under the top two categories of rating, indicating a distinct shift toward authentic merit-based assessments.
One of the biggest developments is the roll-out of a digital, secure assessment system that classifies officers into five groups—A to E. Each group contains 20% of the total officers, graded according to performance and integrity. The days of favoritism and manipulation are over. Pay is now tied directly to performance, with high-grade officers in Group A drawing as much as four times their normal pay. Group B and C officers are also rewarded with increased pay, whereas Group D receives a lump sum bonus. Group E officers alone are deprived of additional income.
This revolutionary reform is the handiwork of FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial, whose team developed, piloted, and rolled out the system in the last six months. Officers are rated anonymously by 45 colleagues on a forced-ranking basis. A technical panel comprising retired FBR professionals and tax experts also randomly checks the ratings to ensure impartiality.
With robust cybersecurity, restricted access, and instant alerts for illegal attempts, the new system is creating a bold new benchmark in Pakistan’s public sector. More than 1,500 officers have already been evaluated, making this change a significant milestone towards increasing accountability and efficiency in civil services.
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