News
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Finance body backs privileges only for elected former presidents, PMs
* Committee expresses concern over 27% government employees belonging to eight ministries and divisions getting up to triple salary per month
By Sajid Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance unanimously recommended to the federal government that only the elected former presidents and prime ministers should be eligible for the suitable security and vehicle facilities as proposed in the Finance Bill 2012.
The standing committee also expressed concern that over 27 percent government employees belonging to eight ministries and divisions were getting up to triple salary per month.
During a meeting chaired by Senator Nasreen Jalil, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and opposition leader in the Upper House Senator Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) agreed that there should be no privileges for the former presidents and prime ministers, but if it was necessary, then only the elected former presidents and prime ministers should be eligible for the facilities.
Ministry of Finance Adviser Rana Asad Amin disclosed before the committee that differences existed between the salaries of the federal government employees and the 27 percent government employees belonging to eight ministries and divisions, who were getting up to triple salary per month.
The adviser said that a committee headed by Dr Ishrat Hussain was constituted to give recommendation for removal of the difference that existed in the salary structure of the aforementioned groups of employees, adding that the committee was tasked to submit its recommendations before announcement of the budget, however, the committee would submit it’s report within the next four months. When the report would be available, the government would make sure the differences were removed, he added.
He further informed the committee that eight ministries and divisions, including the Presidency, Prime Minister’s House, FBR, Senate, National Assembly and law enforcement agencies and judiciary, were getting additional salaries ranging from 50 percent to thrice their normal.
Senator Ishaq Dar strongly opposed the difference in salary structures and said that special classes were being created in the federal government, adding that it was for this reason that influential people got appointed their loved ones in such ministries and divisions. Members of the committee were opposed to such practice and were of the view that the remaining 73 percent employees of the federal government were not being treated equally as they were being paid single salary per month, while there were employees in same grades who were being paid up to triple salary per month.
Finance Secretary Wajid Ali Rana requested the committee to propose removal of differences in the salary structure of federal employees, adding that the ministry would implement such recommendations when Dr Ishrat Hussain’s committee submits its report.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk