ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz on Saturday stressed for introduction of E-pension system in all federal government departments at the earliest and to ensure payment of family pension without succession certificate.
Pursuance to meeting under the chair of Syed Tahir Shahbaz, Wafaqi Mohtasib for reviewing the status of implementation of Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Secretariat for facilitation and timely finalization of pension cases of federal government employees, instructions were issued to federal government departments to ensure the process of finalization of pension cases within 30 days.
He appreciated the efforts of government departments for the facilitation of pension process of federal government employees but noted that still a lot is to be done, especially for implementation of new regulations which would further facilitate pension cases.
Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, Sr. Advisor (Law)/Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat stated that certain issues regarding retiring employees have been addressed and most importantly retiring employee would automatically be receiving 65 percent of their basic pay as anticipatory pension.
He further stated that through introduction of e-pension system, the date of all departments would automatically be interconnecting with the E-system of AGPR and their complete information would be available with the AGPR.
He further stated that no succession certificate would be required in future for issuance of family pension.
He informed the federal ombudsman that the decision has been taken that E-Pension system may be finalized and introduced within all federal government departments and Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and Auditor General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) may inform about the status of implementation e-Pension System and to ensure its finalization by June, 2019.
For implementation of E-pension system, all ministries/departments must cooperate with CGA and AGPR to ensure that pension cases are finalized within time and service record of the employees is computerized including entertaining the service book in the system.
He informed that instructions regarding payment of family pension without succession certificate be circulated to all ministries / divisions / departments under intimation to this secretariat and all steps be taken for implementation of SROs No.1423(1)/2018 and SROs No.1424(1)/2018 dated 15.11.2018 by CGA and AGPR and Ministries.
Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhtar stated that further decisions have also been taken for facilitation of provincial government employees in coordination with Provincial Accountant General by CGA and AGPR and plan in this regard be submitted to this Secretariat that how the benefits of reforms introduced at Federal level are reached at provincial Accountant General Offices.
The initiative of Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat regarding pension of federal government employees has given fruits and most of the employees are receiving pension through their accounts from all scheduled banks and 9856 pension cases were received in AGPR in 2018 out of which 9845 were resolved.
On the directions of Wafaqi Mohtasib, Pension Cells have already been established in all federal government departments which should initiate pension case of an employee one month’s prior to his retirement date.
