Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to prioritise the construction of new roads rather than carrying out piecemeal repairs.
During a special meeting held at the NHA headquarters on Friday, the minister expressed concern that a lack of proper accounting in repair work leads to corruption. He instructed officials to outsource the management of the right-of-way and to review it every three months. A clear policy should be developed to meet defined targets.
The minister called for restructuring the NHA in line with corporate sector models and expressed the aim to transform it into a self-sustaining institution with an annual revenue target of Rs. 5,100 billion.
He announced that salaries of NHA employees would be increased, with a focus on encouraging lawful earnings. Performance will be assessed on the basis of target achievement, and professionals from the private sector will be recruited to achieve better results. Employees who perform well will receive competitive remuneration packages.
The minister also instructed the authority to permanently remove encroachments from its land and to shift its focus and resources towards new development schemes.
The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary for Communications and the Chairman of the NHA, who provided a briefing.
With a commitment to make the NHA a profitable institution, the minister emphasised transparency, a robust structure and sustainable development as key priorities, in contrast to a history of corruption and incomplete repairs.
