In order to promote the Christmas celebration, the Sindh government has announced disbursing advance salaries and pensions for its Christian employees. As per the notification issued recently, the disbursement is likely to take place on December 18, making it financially accessible for Christian employees in advance of the Christmas holiday on December 25. The decision thus demonstrates the effort of the administration to accommodate festive needs within its workforce.
In September 2024, important amendments were introduced in the Civil Service Act, 1973 by the Sindh government which altered pension rules for new employees. It was decided that those employees who would be appointed after July 2024 would not enjoy the facility of receiving monthly pension payments upon retirement. Rather, these employees, along with the government, will be paying into the Sindh Employee Benefit Scheme and will receive a “Golden Cheque Gratuity” upon retirement. The contributions would be 12% from the government and 10% from employees.
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Earlier this year, the Sindh cabinet had approved the implementation of the Sindh Defined Contributory Pension Scheme 2024 with effect from July 1, 2024. The scheme redefined retirement benefits of civil servants newly hired/regularized. They would now become a part of the Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, in which employee and government contributions will be pooled in a separate fund, and on retirement, all participants would receive the entire amount from their account, which would also include the government’s contribution, in a specified manner.
These measures reflect the face of the government in fighting short-term management of long-term liabilities with a possible commitment to providing fair retirement benefits to its employees.