Shelving pay rises

Much like self-rising ‘dough’ (a colloquial substitution for the term ‘money’) used in baking, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was about to treat himself to a 300 per cent raise in his own salary. He tried to bump himself up several salary brackets, from a modest monthly Rs35,000 to Rs150,000. The lack of checks and balances is apparent here; the chief minister should not have such authority and approval from other entities should be required.  Thankfully, his party’s president, Asif Zardari, prevailed and stopped him and other legislators from giving themselves a raise.

Although recognised by civilians for having turned a few circumstances around in Karachi since assuming office, the move would surely have sullied CM Shah’s reputation. The Sindh Assembly secretariat shamelessly moved the bill to the CM, in which he approved significant increments for himself, lawmakers, speaker of the house, deputy speaker, secretaries, advisers, and members of the assembly. While it is justified to raise salaries to account for inflation, the exorbitant jump is unfathomable, even to account for inflation in the last four years -- since 2013, when salaries were last raised. Since the raise is being given retroactively, from July 1, 2016 onwards, it should only account for inflation in the three years since the last raise, not four. Mr Zardari later pointed out that the unstable conditions of the country did not justify the move at all.

The 300 per cent increment would be brazen because while labour rights for salaried workers in the province are largely neglected, including a check on whether employees receive fair and timely wages, the enormous increment for these officials is sure to be received on time, or even retroactively, which is unheard of at most places of employment. It should be remembered, however, that shame is not an easy feeling to come by our politicians. Perhaps that is why they get to do whatever they want in this country, whether it is transgressing laws without fear or extracting funds at free will. The burden of the additional Rs666,257,600 would have fallen on taxpayers. Better economic sense is needed among legislators.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2017.

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