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Thursday March 28, 2024

Cabinet meeting: Federal employees left high and dry

By Mehtab Haider & m saleh zaafir
June 01, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday reversed its decision for providing honorarium equal to three basic pays for all employees of federal government keeping in view whopping required cost of Rs93 billion and decided to provide three honorarium to selected a few employees of ministries involved in budget making process with approval of Minister in Charge. Minister for Finance Dr Miftah Ismail on Thursday night confirmed to The News that the government approved a summary of the Finance Division that Minister in Charge might award three honorarium to certain number of employees of selected ministries including Planning and Development, Finance, Revenue and Prime Minister Office. Earlier, he said that some confusion had surfaced on this issue.

According to earlier notification issued by Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad on May 25, 2018 stating that the PM/Chairman of the ECC has seen and is pleased to order that all employees of the federal government shall be given honorarium equivalent to three basic pays for financial year 2017-18. No exception shall be allowed for payment in excess of the ceiling in any case.

The prime minister has further desired that for the financial year 2018-19 onwards a policy may be formulated by the new elected government after Elections 2018. The sources said that actually different ministries proposed different honorarium request to PM so the premier was advised to grant uniform formula.

When the budget wing of Finance Ministry calculated on the basis of all employees of the federal government, they were stunned to witness its escalating cost to the tune of Rs93 billion.

Meanwhile, the federal cabinet consigned the question of taking line of action in Asghar Khan case to the next government. The cabinet that had its last meeting here at the Prime Minister Office took up the case as an agenda item since the apex court earlier in the day had asked it to take up the matter forthwith. The members of the cabinet reportedly were of the view that the matter needed thorough discussion and consideration before taking any final decision and for the reason it must be deferred to the next cabinet.