SHEC seeks salary hike for public university finance directors

The Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) has decided to review the salary of the finance directors at the province’s public universities, proposing to increase it to Rs500,000 a month. SHEC Chairman Prof Dr Tariq Rafi has sent a relevant summary to the chief minister.

The summary states that finance directors are appointed at federally chartered universities, and in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in BPS-20 on a regular basis. However, finance directors are appointed in Balochistan in BPS-20/21 on a four-year tenure.

Finance directors used to be appointed at all public universities in BPS-20 on a regular basis. However, after the promulgation of the Sindh Universities & Institutes Laws (Amendment) Act, 2018, the tenure of finance director was fixed at three years.

The Sindh government fixed the minimum at BPS-20 or as per the LPC for in-service candidates. It was earlier highlighted that most of the selected finance directors are CA/ICMA/ACCA and getting a higher salary package in the private sector.

Due to the low salary package, many finance directors do not join or refuse to join. To fill the gap, on the recommendations of the search committee, the provincial government appointed many finance directors from the waiting list.

Keeping in view the importance of the finance director post, and to retain qualified persons at universities, the SHEC chief again recommended that the CM consider fixing the salary of finance directors at Rs500,000 a month at least.