Secretaries Committee recommends 120% raise for federal secretariat employees

ISLAMABAD: The Secretaries Committee, which is the highest forum for bureaucrats, has asked the government to give employees from Grade 1 to 22 of Federal Secretariat the 120 percent raise, reported The News on Saturday.

The publication also reported that the panel has recommended an additional executive allowance for federal secretaries and additional secretaries that may be deputed to other divisions and ministries from January 1 of this year.

According to the publication, the recommendations were made in a committee meeting held on January 23 last month. The committee has also asked the Finance Division to process cases in this regard.

During the meeting, Additional Secretary Finance Sohail Rajpoot briefed the committee regarding the salary differences of provincial and federal secretariats as the finance secretary could not attend the meeting, said the newspaper. The official informed the committee that the finance division has completed its homework regarding the matter and said that it is considering a 120 percent raise for employees from grades 1 to 22.

The News reported that Rajpoot also told the panel that the division is also mulling on recommending that employees from Grade 1 to 16 should get basic salary’s 50 percent as Utility Allowance. The panel was also told that the division is also considering that employees from Grade 17 to 20 should get basic salary’s 120 percent as Utility Allowance. While, Grade 21 to 22 employees should get basic salary’s 150 per cent as Utility Allowance.

The committee also discussed that those federal secretaries, who are heading ministries and divisions, should be considered for getting an Executive Allowance equal to a chief secretary.

The publication also reported that a proposal was also under consideration to raise the salaries by 100 per cent of cadre posts in the Federal Secretariat and the basic salaries of section officers, deputy secretaries and joint secretaries.

The News also reported that the committee has also called for a 150 percent raise in the basic salary of those holding the post of a senior joint secretary, additional secretary and special secretary. It also called for a Rs 400,000 Executive Allowance for each federal and in-charge secretary.

According to The News, the committee also expressed concern over the delay in completing the process for raise in salaries and allowances and claimed that the delay has disturbed the employees of the Federal Secretariat.

The committee urged the Finance Division to immediately complete the salaries and allowances package and forward it to the prime minister for approval.