Current model for disbursement not sustainable: Hafeez

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said the current model for disbursement of pay and pensions was not sustainable, and expressed the confidence that Pay and Pension Commission would come up with some viable solution to resolve the burgeoning expenditure on the budget.

The adviser on finance stated this, while addressing the inaugural meeting of the Pay and Pension Commission 2020 on Thursday.

The Commission is headed by Nargis Sethi and is composed of senior professionals from public and private sectors as well as serving federal and provincial secretaries, AJK and GB, and other senior officials, who were also in attendance.

The advisor finance expressed his confidence that the Pay and Pension Commission would come up with a financially-viable solution to streamline the basic pay scales of government employees, admissible allowances and pensions.

The Commission would follow a consultative process to resolve the burgeoning expenditure on the government exchequer.

While assuring the Commission of his full support, the advisor recommended to the Commission that the government is willing to consider the Commission’s recommendation even prior to the finalisation of the report.

The government plans to implement the recommendations of the Pay and Pension Commission from the next budget, and recommendations of the Commission would be applicable on the fresh hiring, according to an official.

Nargis Sethi, chairperson of the Pay and Pension Commission briefed about the rationale and mandate of the P and P Commission.

She explained that the Commission would review the existing pay and pension structures, allowances, perks and facilities, and also evaluate possibilities of their monetization.

The chairperson outlined formation of sub-committees, which have been assigned terms of reference to deliberate on prevailing pay and pension system across the country.

The success of the P and P Commission is dependent on provision of reliable and authentic data in a timely manner from all concerned, she stressed.