Budget 2024-25: Big relief for government employees of Sindh

ISLAMABAD: Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani announced ‘big relief’ for the government employees ahead of the provincial budget 2024-25.

Chairing a meeting, Saeed Ghani said that the upcoming Sindh budget for the new financial year 2024–25 will have special fiscal provisions to ensure timely disbursal of salaries and pensions to the serving and retired employees of municipal agencies across the province.

The local government minister stated that the OZT (Octroi Zila Tax) portion of the province’s union councils and town committees would be enhanced in response to the growth in recurrent expenses for these municipal authorities.

He asked all the regional directors of the Sindh Local Government Department to compile at the earliest and send to the provincial authorities the lists of the serving and retired employees of the union councils and town committees drawing salaries and pensions in their respective jurisdictions.

Saeed Ghani said that the same data will be used to make provisions in the next provincial government budget for the protection of the salaries and pensions of the municipal staffers in Sindh.

The local government minister stated that the provincial government should get updated data on the number of active and retired municipal employees, as well as information on the total expenditures of union and town committees.

He stated that the earliest possible availability of such data would ensure that the 2019 provincial budget had adequate fiscal provisions for paying municipal personnel salaries and pensions, as well as disbursing an increased OZT share to union and town committees.

Meanwhile, The federal government is expected to present the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 on June 12.

Sources said the government is working on different proposals for salary increases in the range of 10 to 15% for public sector employees in the upcoming budget FY 2024-25.

On the salaries front, the Ministry of Finance wants to raise the salary by just 10%, say sources.

Another suggestion is being considered to increase monetary compensation for higher-level officers in grades 20, 21, and 22 by 20 to 25%.

Grade 20 officials have been receiving automobile payments of Rs67,000 per month, grade 21 officers of Rs77,000 per month, and grade 22 officers of Rs87,000 per month.