Last minute loot: Where there is a bill, there is an increased pay

Legislators approve increments for themselves, ministers and special assistants.

KARACHI:

Being an MPA has just become a much more lucrative career option - by 60 per cent to be precise.

Just hours before it would seize to be, the Sindh Assembly passed on Friday a bill recommending an increment in legislators’ salaries. The income of the speaker, deputy speakers, minsters and special assistants has also been increased by a massive 40 per cent. What’s more is that the changes are effective July 2011, meaning that the legislators will also be paid arrears amounting to the difference between their old and new salaries over the past two years.

But the generous legislators didn’t stop here: two private bills proposing that the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker receive 70 per cent of their current pay after retiring were also passed.

Under these bills, which had been moved by Pakistan Peoples Party MPAs Dr Sikander Mandhro and Mujaddid Isran, the three people are also entitled to one grade 17 private secretary, a driver, an orderly, a gardener, a cook, a plumber and their own entourage of law enforcers to guard them for the rest of their lives. A monthly allowance of Rs10,000 for cell phone and landline bills has also been thrown into their goody bags for good measure.



The legislators’ generosity even extends to former MPAs as well as the spouses of deceased ones - a bill was unanimously passed, allowing them to avail privileges such as access to government guest houses and the use of VIP lounges at airports. “Retired members and their families will also avail the official or gratis passport for life,” states the law.

Throwing in their two cents

But not everybody was pleased at the fact that heavy goody bags were being distributed near the end of the assembly’s five-year tenure. Opposition members - who had earlier supported enhanced privileges for lawmakers given the skyrocketing prices of commodities - were seething.

As the bill on the increment of salaries was moved by law minister Ayaz Soomro, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) and National Peoples Party members stood up and started shouting.

“The provincial government is already in a tight spot financially. Please stop giving more incentives to ministers and lawmakers. Spend the money on poor people instead,” said MQM’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan and PML-F’s Nusrat Seher Abbasi. They, however, supported the proposal to provide incentives to their families, chief minister as well as the speaker and deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly.

Soomro retorted that the increase in salaries and allowance was being given to the lawmakers on the recommendation of standing committee on the law and parliamentary affairs. He added that the committee, headed by PPP MPA Syed Bachal Shah, had been deliberating the matter since May 2009 and all MQM and PML-F members had given their input.

“The members of the parties should now stop this drama of opposing the bill,” said Soomro. “ I have the signatures of all the opposition members who not only attended the meeting but endorsed the increase in salaries,” he added, while quoting the name of opposition leader Syed Sardar Ahmed and Abbasi.

The law minister said that the salaries and incentives were being increased because of inflation. “Those MPAs belonging to middle-class families cannot make ends meet on Rs 41,000 per month,” he said “After this law, the salaries and other allowances of MPAs will reach up to Rs65,000 each month,” he said. The law minister further said the increase will be effective from July 2011.

The chairperson of the standing committee said he had finalised the report on the recommendation of the very people who were now protesting against after parting ways with government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2013.