‘Implement workers profit participation fund law’

LAHORE: Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) has demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take immediate action for implementation of a provincial law regarding Workers Profit Participation Fund (WPPF) for the welfare of the poor industrial workers in the province.

Zafar Mahmood, senior vice-chairman of PCMA, said the Punjab chief minister had bagged a lot of liking across the country for his exemplary development initiatives and good governance in the province, but the implementation on WPPF still had been kept in abeyance. He hoped that WPPF law, if implemented in the province, would prove to be another feather in the chief minister’s cap. He elaborated that initially the WPPF was placed under the legislative ambit of the federal government, which had also passed a law for the purpose, but after approval of the 18th Amendment, the provinces were supposed to make their own laws in this regard. He said none of the provinces, except Sindh took action. He lamented that formation of a law on WPPF was still in the doldrums in the other three provinces. The PCMA senior vice-chairman observed that the industry was badly confused due to the prevailing ambiguity on the implementation of the WPPF and, despite having a strong will to impart benefit of this initiative to their workers, the industry was unable to act upon in a proper way. He complained that despite transfer of the WPPF from federation to the provinces, the industries in Punjab were receiving notices from the federal administration for submission of the returns related to WPPF.