Non-payment of budget honoraria: Ministry of Finance employees stage demo

ISLAMABAD: The employees of the Ministry of Finance staged a protest outside the ministry building against non-payment of budget honoraria for recently announced federal budget (2020-2021).

The employees also observed a peaceful pen-down strike on Wednesday, here at the Ministry of Finance over non-payment of the honoraria.

The ministry administration temporarily shut down the lifts, and closed all routes to the fourth floor of the building as a precautionary measure.

It is learnt that the secretary Ministry of Finance has assured the employees that their concerns will be taken up with the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

"The government understands and acknowledges the difficulties and economic constraints faced by the employees," the secretary assured the employees, it was learnt.

After this assurance, the protestors ended the strike.

The employees were of the view that they had always been paid budget honoraria, and if the honoraria were not paid to them for this year, they would again go on protest.

Meanwhile, the employees of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) have also expressed serious concern over non-payment of extra salary/pay given every year, due to their heavy engagements in the budget preparation exercise.

Recently, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurance had directed all the departments to pay honoraria to their employees who served during the budget sessions, industriously, in the Parliament House.

The standing committee was informed that the NADRA, the PTA, and the IESCO had paid honoraria to their employees, who served during the budget sessions in the Parliament House. The CDA had also paid honoraria to its officials; however, the honoraria to its officers were yet to be paid.