Raise in FIA salaries: Finance Division refuses to comply with PM Imran’s directive

KARACHI: The Finance Division has expressed its inability to comply with the prime minister’s directions to bring the salaries of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a par with those of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) staff during the current fiscal year.

The secretary finance had written to the secretary to the prime minister that after a mutual understanding between Finance Division and FIA, it was decided the salaries of FIA employees would be made equal to NAB’s salary package.

The decision was made in view of the expansion in FIA’s domain, tasks and assignments and a major increase in the workload in comparison to other investigation agencies, including the NAB. It also recognised that due to intensive hard work by FIA, it now looks possible for Pakistan to come out of the FATF Grey List. Besides, the FIA was investigating corruption, money laundering, cybercrime, human smuggling, terror finance, and intellectual property rights cases. Furthermore, after the new amendments in NAB law, most of the antigraft cases would also now fall under the ambit of FIA.

The secretary finance conveyed to the PMO ( Prime Minister's Office) that the FIA would not be given increment in the gross salary. The FIA instead would be given an allowance equivalent to 20 percent of the basic pay, besides a 25 percent increase in the basic pay in lieu of the utility bills. Furthermore, the secretary informed the PMO, these additional funds will not be allocated in the current fiscal, but would be made available in the next fiscal year.

Disappointed with the decision, FIA officials believe that increase in the basic pay would hardly be sufficient boost in their salaries nor would it make their salary packages at par with the salaries of the NAB officers despite the changing nature of the assignment.