Latest news with #CivilServantsAct
Business Recorder
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
NA passes amendment requiring top officials to publicly declare assets
ISLAMABAD: In a bold power move that's bound to shake up the country's power brokers, the National Assembly on Friday passed a game-changing amendment to the Civil Servants Act, forcing top government officials to air their financial dirty laundry – publicly. The new law, Section 15-A, demands that civil servants from Grade 17 to Grade 22 disclose not only their own wealth but also the financial details of their spouses and dependents, including assets, liabilities, and loans. And here's the real bombshell: this financial intel will be made available to the public for all to see. Gone are the days when bureaucrats could quietly pad their pockets without a second thought. Now, every asset, every debt, will be exposed to the public eye – under the watchful gaze of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), including those working within the tax-collecting powerhouse itself. Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill passed: Senior officials obliged to disclose all assets For years, asset declarations from the country's bureaucratic elite have been shrouded in secrecy. But this new legislation aims to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the country's entrenched bureaucratic establishment. It's worth noting, however, that the country's political elite remains silent when it comes to asset declarations for the military bureaucracy, which is still unwilling – or perhaps too powerful – to allow any such legislation that would expose their financial dirty laundry. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Assets declaration must for govt servants
PML-N-led coalition government in the Centre now has 229 members in the NA. PHOTO: APP The federal government on Friday managed to pass a bill, amending the Civil Servants Act. Under the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2025, Clause 15A was added after Clause 15 of the Act, making it mandatory for civil servants from Grade-17 to Grade-22 to declare all their domestic and foreign assets. As per the proposed law, civil servants must also disclose the domestic and foreign assets and liabilities of their spouses and dependent children. Officers will be required to submit details of their own and their family's assets to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). These asset details will be made public. Earlier, the NA Friday passed a total of nine legislative items, including six government bills, two private members' bills, and a resolution, with a majority vote. The government successfully secured the house's approval for the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024, a crucial piece of legislation related to the upcoming federal budget. Among the other government-sponsored bills passed were: Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill 2024, Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill 2025, Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2024, Transfer of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2025. In addition, the house also adopted two private members' bills from the supplementary agenda: Trade Organisations (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2025 (applicable within the limits of Islamabad Capital Territory). All bills were passed with a majority vote, without division. The assembly also approved a resolution moved by MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, urging the government to increase the upper age limit for CSS candidates to 35 years, and to allow five attempts for the competitive exam. The resolution stressed that qualified aspirants were being excluded due to the restrictive age cap and limited number of chances. Speaking on a point of order, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser raised concerns regarding the lack of a clear government policy on tobacco cultivation. "Farmers are deeply worried. The matter should be referred to the relevant standing committee," he urged. In response, the federal minister for law and justice assured the house that the government was aware of the farmers' difficulties. "International market fluctuations do impact prices, but we will ensure that tobacco growers are not unduly burdened," he said. The session was later adjourned by Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani until Monday at 5pm. Wheat procurement The government would not procure wheat this season and the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) would be closed down, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the National Assembly on Friday. Speaking during the Question Hour, the minister said that farmers who were able to store their produce in their own warehouses would be compensated. He added that there were no restrictions on the movement or transport of wheat across the country. "Wheat is currently performing well in the open market, which is benefiting farmers and improving their income," the minister told the house in response to a question. "The farmers who are able to store their produce in their own warehouses will be compensated," he added.
Express Tribune
13-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
IMF raises concerns over FBR's performance
Listen to article The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns regarding the performance of Pakistan's Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and rejected claims that the revenue shortfall has been resolved. Sources stated that discussions between the IMF mission and the Ministry of Finance are ongoing for $1 billion tranche. A team led by Federal Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb met with the IMF mission to discuss new tax targets, Express News reported on Thursday. During the meeting, the government provided a briefing on the integration of public institutions and cost-saving measures, including the merger of institutions and the elimination of positions, which resulted in savings of Rs17 billion. Despite these efforts, the IMF questioned the effectiveness of FBR in addressing the revenue shortfall and rejected the claims made by Pakistani officials regarding the resolution of this issue. Additionally, the meeting explored the right-sizing of government employees and the possibility of a 'golden handshake,' which could lead to the elimination of 700 positions in grades 17 to 22, along with thousands of lower-grade positions. Sources also mentioned that amendments to the Civil Servants Act are being considered to facilitate the removal of excess government employees. The Ministry of Finance alos presented a strategy to reduce expenditures and address the revenue shortfall. Earlier, the IMF rejected Pakistan's request to grant tax exemptions for foreign investment projects. The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) had sought the exemptions during a detailed briefing to the IMF delegation, arguing that tax relief would help attract foreign investors. However, the global lender refused the request, maintaining its stance on fiscal discipline. During the briefing, SIFC officials presented investment opportunities, governance structures, and infrastructure plans.
Express Tribune
13-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt plans to lay off surplus employees
Pakistan has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about its plan to lay off surplus employees by offering them golden handshake, as weak performance of revenues has emerged a major area of concern towards the fag end of the talks. The global lender has also questioned the rationality of retaining ministries in areas that under the Constitution are provincial subjects, said the government sources privy to the discussions. During this week, the IMF's focus remained on the Federal Board of Revenue's tax collection and prospects, the size of the government and more importantly the fate of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, which has to be brought in line with the IMF's prescription. The sources said that weak tax revenues emerged as a major source of concern towards the end of the talks after the IMF did not accept the FBR's projections for bridging the revenue shortfall for the remainder of the fiscal year. The finance ministry also rushed to the drawing board to find out areas where expenditures can be cut to satisfy the IMF. One of the meetings held on Tuesday did not go well and after that the FBR and the finance ministry started redoing the numbers, including finding the potential sources of savings to offset the revenue shortfall. The ministry may have to surrender its contingency fund, reduce certain non-productive expenses. It was also looking at the accounting of the primary budget surplus, said the sources. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also held a session with the IMF mission chief on Wednesday. The discussions focused on the new tax target for the FBR for the current fiscal year. The authorities were hopeful that the small differences over the revenue projections and the potential savings would be sorted out today (Thursday). Golden handshake The sources said that the Cabinet Division gave a briefing to the IMF about the actions, which are needed to reduce the size of the government. Under the $7 billion package, the government was required to "share with the IMF staff a report detailing actions to reduce the federal government's footprint". The IMF was told that the government was planning to amend the Civil Servants Act 1973, which provides protection against retrenchment, in order to lay off the surplus staff and the officers. The Fund was told at present no employee can be sent home because of the legal protections under the Civil Servants Act. The plan, if implemented, would end the current practice of retaining deadwoods till their superannuation age. It may also help aligning the civilian bureaucracy structure with the military where best-of-the-best are retained. During a briefing on the government's current drive to reduce the size of the civil machinery, it was disclosed that total savings from abolishing vacant positions and merging or winding up some 10 small departments were hardly Rs17 billion. The amount of savings is not big compared to the government's tall claims of implementing the rightsizing drive – an initiative that was also punctured last week when new units were created and ministries were divided to accommodate the new battalion of ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants to the Prime Minister. The sources said that the IMF questioned the Pakistani authorities about the need for having ministries in the domains, which under the constitution are the provincial subjects. There are many ministries that fall in the provincial domain like the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry for National Health. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed ministers and ministers of state, taking the size of his cabinet to over 50 during the recent expansion drive. There are three persons responsible for the Ministry of Interior or interior affairs. The Federal Minister for Interior is Mohsin Naqvi, the advisor on Interior Affairs with the status of federal minister is PTI disgruntled Pervaiz Khattak and Senator Talal Chaudhry is the Minister of State for Interior. Likewise, there is a federal minister for health and the minister of state for health. The government informed the IMF about its plan to abolish thousands of vacant positions from grade 1 to 22 to save over Rs12 billion. These include nearly 700 positions in the grade 17 to 22, which would save roughly Rs2.5 billion and abolishing thousands of low pay scale positions to save Rs10 billion. The IMF opined that the federal government should also consider transferring the surplus employees to the provinces. The issue of overstaffing in the Public Sector Development Programme was also highlighted in the meeting The government informed the IMF that it had merged, transferred or closed about 10 organizations, which will save another Rs5 billion. Some of the organizations, which have been closed, include the Jammu & Kashmir Refugees Rehabilitation Organization. The IMF was told that Pakistan was also restructuring the Chief Commissioner Afghan Refugees organization. The government has already begun the process to repatriate the Afghan refugees and gave a March 31st deadline to those having Afghan Citizen Cards. It has also been decided to merge three entities doing the same job and form a new authority. The Special Economic Zones, the Special Technology Zones Authority and the Export Processing Zones offices will be merged into the National Industrial Development Regulatory Authority. The Human Organs Transplant Authority has been merged with Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority. The National Trust for Population Welfare has been closed while Sheikh Zayed PostGraduate Hospital is being transferred to the Punjab government. The government was also planning to shift the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital to Islamabad Capital Territory, said the sources. The government has also decided to shut down the National Fertilizer Corporation and National Productivity Organization. The government has merged the Ministries of States and Frontier Regions and Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan. It has handed over the Aviation Division to the Ministry of Defense but has created a new Public Affairs Unit and appointed Rana Mubashir Iqbal as federal minister and Abdul Rehman Kanju as Minister of State.
Express Tribune
10-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
IHC questions 'look-after' charge
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has admitted a petition, challenging the alleged illegal "look-after" charge of the all-important position of the chief economist of Pakistan given to the vice chancellor of a public sector university by the Planning Commission. Acting IHC Chief Justice Justice Sarfraz Dogar has asked the government to submit replies by March 26. The court has instructed that it should be provided the legal basis for giving the look-after charge of the chief economist position to the vice chancellor of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). However, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has defended the decision, saying Dr Nadeem Javaid has been appointed temporarily and there is also legal merit in the appointment. He said that Nadeem Javaid was also Member Research of the Planning Commission and thus there was modus operandi for giving him the look-after charge. The charge has been given until the regular appointment process is completed, the minister added. Soon after appointing Dr Nadeem Javaid as PIDE Vice Chancellor, the government on February 18 gave him the look-after charge of the vacant post of chief economist in clear violation of the Establishment Division's instructions of April 2021. The court admitted the petition and served notices on the day a high-powered board promoted Dr Imtiaz Ahmad, belonging to the economist group, to the highest Pay Scale-22. This makes Imtiaz Ahmad eligible for the post of chief economist or secretary in any division. The Planning Commission is entrusted with the responsibility of making Pakistan's long-term economic plans and ensuring their implementation. The petitioner, the senior most officer of Grade-21 in the economist group, challenged the look-after charge given to PIDE vice chancellor and also challenged the continued placement of his services at the disposal of the Establishment Division since December 2021. The petitioner prayed the court that it may declare that the look-after charge for the vice chancellor of a university was unlawful and devoid of legal basis. According to the Establishment Division's instructions, "there is no provision of look after charge in Civil Servants Act, 1973 and Rules made thereunder, rather an officer can be deputed temporarily as an internal arrangement to look after the work of another post for disposal of day to day work of urgent and routine nature in the Ministry, Division, Organization concerned". Going by these instructions, either one of the senior most officers should have been appointed the chief economist or the look-after charge should have been given to any of the senior most officers. The Establishment Division's instructions further read that as a matter of principle, the senior most officer is normally asked by the head of a division or department to look after the work of a post when its incumbent is temporarily away. However, the instructions further clarified "there may be certain issues which are of quasi-judicial nature and decision cannot be taken by an officer not formally designated to exercise those powers". However, Nadeem Javaid is taking all the decisions which in the routine business fall within the domain of the chief economist. The Establishment Division further stated that certain financial and administrative powers can only be exercised by an officer to whom the additional or current charge of the post is entrusted in the prescribed manner. An officer looking after the work cannot exercise such powers as he has not been delegated such powers by the competent authority, according to the Establishment Division. The petitioner prayed the court that the vice chancellor was an external element in the established hierarchy but he still was granted the look-after charge of chief economist, despite it being a promotional post. He made the Establishment Division secretary, planning secretary and Nadeem Javaid parties in the case. The petitioner asserted that the planning ministry "improperly assigned the look-after charge of the vacant position of chief economist". He contended that the assignment was unlawful as the chief economist was a promotional post. The petitioner said that the term "look-after charge" lacked statutory basis within the Civil Servants Act and constituted an attempt to circumvent the petitioner's legal right to be considered for promotion. He disclosed that he had earlier filed a writ petition before the IHC but the petition was subsequently withdrawn on September 16, 2024, premised upon assurances extended to the petitioner by senior officials that their candidacy for promotion would be duly considered.
