Baqar orders reforms to curb corruption, delist ghost pensioners

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed the provincial finance department to introduce reforms to plug corruption, delist ghost pensioners and simultaneously start an exercise to frame recommendations for determining the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) Award so that the upcoming elected government could announce it at the outset of its proceedings.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the finance department at the CM House on Wednesday. Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi briefed the CM about the functions and responsibilities of the department.

Baqar pointed out that there were growing complaints of corruption in the treasuries in the province, and treasury officers not only create problems with releasing pensions but also run a system under which ghost pensioners are benefited.

Most of the retiring employees were running from pillar to post to receive their gratuities and pensions, he lamented and directed the chief secretary to ask all the deputy commissioners to hold open kutcheries along with the representatives of the finance department to verify the pensioners and delist the ghost employees by adopting due procedure.

The interim CM directed the finance department to introduce automation in all the treasuries so that pensions and other payments could be released through a digitalised system in time. The finance secretary assured the CM that an automation system would be introduced to resolve this issue.

Baqar also directed the planning & development and finance departments to bring reforms to the pension system. He added that there should be a system in which government employees must contribute a minor portion of their salaries to their pension fund which should be invested to reduce the burden on the government exchequer.

The CM was told that Rs30 billion was required to fulfil the additional funding of the local councils in Sindh due to a 50 per cent increase in their monthly shares. At this, he said that the formation of a Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) was the need of the hour.

He directed the finance department to start an exercise to firm up recommendations for the PFC award so that the next elected government could implement it at the start of its tenure. Justice (retd) Baqar directed the finance, planning and development, and local government departments to strengthen the local bodies and guide them on how to generate their funds. The regular dependence of the local bodies on the provincial government grants was not a healthy practice, he said and added that they (local bodies) must be guided to create their own resources and generate funds for local development.