ISLAMABAD: Officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are facing loss of millions of rupees on account of new guidelines for performance allowance.
Although the FBR has started restoration of performance allowance to the officials, suspended performance allowance has inflicted loss of millions to officials.
“Almost 62 officers from BS-17 to BS-21 have been deprived of performance allowance on account of petty reasons; non-filing of annual declaration of assets and liabilities and non-filing of income tax returns,” well-placed sources at the FBR said.
Under the conditions, performance allowance remains suspended for a period of three months for not fulfilling the specified criteria. Performance allowance is equivalent to 100 percent of basic pay.
Thus an official who remains deprived of performance allowance for three consecutive months faces loss of thousands of rupees. When calculated the total amount of 62 officials whose performance allowance was stopped, the total is in millions of rupees, sources informed.
Some officials while talking to this scribe on the condition of anonymity strongly criticised the administration for placing such strict conditions for performance allowance.
In October last year, the FBR completed revision of the policy guidelines for payment of performance allowance to employees. The new policy guidelines were finalised after detailed deliberation in several meetings of the board in council held under the FBR chairman.
The FBR adopted the mechanism for paying performance allowance to employees in 2003 to encourage them and boost their morale so that their performance improves and they show better results.
The previous policy guidelines in this regard were revised and finalised in 2012 under which the FBR HRM Wing was authorised to conduct selection process by receiving and processing performance applications.
As per the previous guidelines, after selection and approval by the competent authority, the Admin Wing of the FBR issued a notification of selected employees. The procedure for selection based on interview for officers of BS-17 and above; interviews and computer proficiency test for staff in BS-5 to BS-16; and Performa evaluation for staff in BS-4 and below.
However, under the revised policy guidelines, power and authority of receiving and processing of applications for performance allowance have been delegated to regional headquarters.
The new guidelines carry eight conditions and criterions for grant of performance allowance of officials: forced leave, minor penalty, major penalty, unauthorised absence, late attendance, substandard performance/conduct, non-filing of annual declaration of assets and liabilities, and non-filing of income tax returns.
