Campaign to register workers to start soon

Minister says inquiry will be conducted into notices sent to small shopkeepers


Imran Rana November 23, 2018
PHOTO: REUTERS

FAISALABAD: Punjab Labour Minister Ansar Majeed Khan has announced plans to set up an additional social security hospital in Faisalabad besides the existing ones and has hinted that legislation is ready to ensure swift utilisation of the Workers Welfare Fund in the same province where it has been collected.

He expressed these views while speaking to business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI).

He added that only 200,000 to 300,000 workers were registered in Faisalabad compared to more than 2 million labourers working in the city.

Khan declared that an emergency drive would be launched shortly for registering maximum number of workers so that they could be incorporated into the social security net.

According to the minister, a new legislation is under consideration to safeguard the interest of domestic workers including cooks, drivers and maids. Expressing serious concern over the prevailing poor condition of the labour colony and schools, he promised that he would review a proposal whether these entities could be utilised for the prime minister’s plan of constructing five million houses in five years.

Khan reassured businessmen that he would highlight the issue of notices being sent to small shopkeepers and “an inquiry will be conducted to discourage this practice in the future.”

Talking about the slab system, the minister pointed out that collection of the social security contribution was being automated. “This way, the entire system will be interlinked and become efficient in addition to avoiding corruption complaints,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Agriculture Minister Nauman Ahmad Langrial told the businessmen that the government was already providing a subsidy of Rs500 per bag of fertiliser.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2018.

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