Will Government Staff Face Salary Delays In January 2024?

The Ministry of Finance in Islamabad dismissed on Saturday any assertions of delayed funds for development projects and federal government employee salaries as “baseless and false.” In a clarification from the Finance Division’s spokesperson, it was noted that it would have been appropriate for the news channel to consult with the Finance Division before broadcasting such news, which unfortunately did not occur.

The spokesperson highlighted that Pakistan remains on course to fulfill all commitments under the IMF program, as evidenced by the smooth completion of the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) for the first review. Fiscal highlights regarding fund availability include the Finance Division’s release of second-quarter funds for both current (salary, pension, and non-ERE) and development expenditure.

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Moreover, the Planning Division and Social Integration Division have authorized funds for development expenditure to line ministries, maintaining the existing release strategy. The Finance Division has also released all second-quarter funds for the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), with transfers to beneficiaries already underway. Additionally, funds earmarked for subsidizing the power sector in line with CDMP requirements have been made available by the Finance Division.

The release of salaries to the Christian community before Christmas, as per tradition, has been ensured by the Finance Division. Both the Federal Board of Revenue’s revenue collection and other ministries’ National Tax Registration collection are proceeding as planned. The Finance Division emphasized that these facts establish that the news item in question was broadcast without evidence and without seeking the government’s viewpoint.