Govt to Scrap 70,000 Vacancies and Merge 117 Sectors to Bankroll Reforms The federal government has decided to eliminate 70,000 Grade-1 to Grade-16 vacancies in the ministries and associate federal divisions. As per notification details, it is also planning to merge 117 federal departments into a single administrative venue to allow for investments in other sectors. Upon completion, the federal divisions’ census will be reduced from 441 to 324 active departments. The Pay & Pension Commission will also submit a review of the basic salaries and benefits of the federal employees in February 2021. In this regard, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan International Airways (PIA), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and Pakistan Railways are working with the concerned ministries to improve governance and standards of accountability.