Millions squandered on foreign visits, fees & family perks whilst nation faces huge debts, bankruptcy & poverty

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: The PenPK.com has learnt from the information obtained by Boota Imtiaz Masih from the Cabinet Davison under the RTI Act section 19 –A that the federal government spent an estimated Rs27.5 million on foreign trips of ministers just in the last five months between April 2022 and October 15, 2022.

According to the document shared by Boota Imtiaz Masih, an RTI activist based in Haderabad, Sindh, the Prime Minister’s Advisors received roughly Rs5.65 million from April to September 30, 2022, while his Special Advisers received almost Rs5.66 million in allowance and gross pay. In addition to these allowances, salaries, and foreign expenditures; the government has to pay salaries and incentives to Special Advisors to the Prime Minister (SAPM), Advisors, State and Federal ministers.

Federal Ministers are paid a monthly salary of Rs200,000 along with allowances and incentives. The details of cash payments that a federal minister receives every month are as follows:

Source: Cabinet Division

Additionally, they are offered four berthed first-class compartments (with air conditioning) for rail travel and the expenses of two servants if they travel with them. They will pay for an economy class ticket if they are flying domestically and a business class ticket if they are flying internationally, along with an extra £100equivalent  for luggage and the cost of two servants if they are flying. For internal trips , they are given government vehicles. When using their personal vehicles they are reimbursed at the rate of Rs. 50 per km.

Moreover, they are compensated for the transportation of their family members, the costs of their servants and  the hotels  while on vacation or travelling abroad, as well as the parliamentary sessions they attend. They receive the necessary medical insurance, general insurance, and furniture payments that they require, according to the document available to The PenPK.com. Similarly, State Ministers are paid a monthly salary of Rs180,000 along with allowances and incentives. The details of cash payments that a state minister receives every month are as follows:

Source: Cabinet Division

Other incentives and allowances for a state minister are the same as those for a federal minister. According to data provided by the Cabinet Division, the Prime Minister has four advisors. Besides, two federal and six state ministers serve as SAPM. The details of the salaries and gross pay allowances that SAPM received from April to September 30, 2022 are as follows:

Source: Cabinet Division

Pakistan is a developing nation that is facing its worst economic nightmares and in dire need of massive assistance to provide financial and humanitarian relief to its flood-affected people. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) latest report, Pakistan’s economy is predicted to decelerate to 3.5 per cent in fiscal year 2023 (ending 30 June 2023) due to severe floods, policy tightening, and imperative attempts to address significant fiscal and external imbalances.

Given the current flooding, poverty will probably go worse in the hardest-hit areas. Without resolute relief and recovery initiatives to aid the poor, preliminary projections indicate that the national poverty rate may rise by 2.5 to 4 percentage points, putting between 5.8 and 9 million people in poverty; as stated by World Bank’s October 2022 report.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Given the current political turmoil and economic instability, the federal government need to get their priorities straight and implement “tough decisions” to steer the country out of its current economic woes and ensure long-term sustainability. Citizens are being make sacrifices and suffer the indignity of poverty. The country can ill afford the expensive indulgence of the government and its ministers. We should be saving the cost to national purse not squandering it. The government needs to set the example.

Additional input by Wraa Haider & Manoj Kumar