Bill for increase in ministers’ perks

PESHAWAR: The NWFP government Wednesday introduced in the provincial assembly The NWFP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 and The North-West Frontier Province Salaries, Allowances and Privileges Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009 seeking increase in the salaries, allowances and privileges of the provincial ministers, speaker, deputy speaker and members of the provincial assembly.

Minister for law and parliamentary affairs Arshad Abdullah moved the bill, who had earlier moved the Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Ordinance on August 26, 2008 seeking increase in the ministers’ salaries, allowances and privileges on August 26, 2008, but the lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches unanimously opposed the government and insisted that their salaries and perks should also be brought on a par with those of the assemblies of other provinces.

The provincial assembly had also adopted a unanimous resolution asking for increase in the salaries and allowances of the members.

The lawmakers were confident that the ordinance and bills presented in the House will be

ultimately passed unanimously as none of the members would like to annoy his colleagues

by opposing a bill seeking increase in the salaries and allowances of both the ministers and members.

However, some members were still not satisfied with the increase, saying the meagre increase would defame the public representatives. The MPAs, including some of women, recorded their protest by visiting the press gallery, saying they were getting the lowest salaries from the MPAs of the assemblies of other three provinces. “We are getting salaries even less than the members of the backward province of Balochistan,” an MPA, wishing not to be named, said.

Despite the passage of the Bill, one lady MPA said, they will receive lesser salaries than members of the other provinces. “I will oppose it on the floor of the House,” she said. The passage of the ordinance relating to increase in the salaries, allowances and privileges as an act of law, the minister will get maximum increase of Rs24,000 in their house rent, while amendments in the laws relating to the salaries and allowances of the members of the provincial assembly will also benefit the holders of the offices of speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the opposition in the house.After the passage of the bill, the main beneficiary would be the speaker, who will get a discretionary grant of Rs0.5 million per annum.

The new allowances and privileges of the speaker is an amount of Rs2,000 per month in head of the usage of cellular phone, his travelling standard will also go up from economy class to economy plus in Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and from ordinary class in train to upgraded two-air-conditioned births in Pakistan Railways. The daily allowances of the chair would also increase from Rs450 per day to Rs4,000 per day.

Similarly, the discretionary grant of the deputy speaker would also been increased through the bill from Rs0.3 million while speaker and the deputy speaker will also be entitled to

an allowance of Rs2,000 per day under the head of cellular phone.

Leader of the opposition will get salary, allowances and privileges equal to a cabinet minister, whose house rent would be increased from Rs16,000 per month to Rs40,000 per month when the bill is passed.