ISLAMABAD: Rs 5 billion has been allocated in the 2018-19 budget by the government for senior officers’ performance allowance and plans are underway to develop a criteria based system for the scheme which becomes operational from 1 July, 2018, a local media outlet reported on Sunday.
Minister for Finance Dr Miftah Ismail had announced the Rs 5 billion allocation for Senior Officers Performance Allowance in the budget speech and added that details would be shared at a later point.
The Finance ministry’s regulation wing and Establishment Division are ironing out plans for the scheme.
“We are considering to place criteria based on ACR of officers or Key Performance indicators (KPI) for ascertaining basis of granting this performance allowance to selected senior officers,” said officials.
One federal minister supported the new package, explaining that improving the incentive package was necessary to attract bureaucrats to work for the federal government as provincial employments are far more lucrative due to cars, housing and other facilities. In addition, the lack of housing in Islamabad makes it difficult for bureaucrats to live in the city.
The final decision regarding the proposals for the Rs 5 billion scheme would be taken after the approval of budget, said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
It is not yet clear if the allowances would be made for officers of Grade 17 and above or for Grade 20 and above.
One retired secretary finance said that this proposal would cause tensions within the bureaucracy as Justice Durrab Patel report identified the ACR as irrelevant in gauging performance.
He made reference to a similar progamme by the Musharraf/Shaukat Aziz government that ultimately created tensions within the bureaucracy and forced the government to reverse course in 2012.
The formed secretary finance also said that it would be better to constitute a new Pay and Pension Commission in order to evaluate all potential options as the last time such a commission was formed was in 2001.
