The federal government has made it mandatory for government employees to serve a three-month notice period before voluntary retirement. The finance ministry in a circular, sent to all federal ministries and divisions of Pakistan, bounded government employees to inform the relevant authority three months before their voluntary retirement. According to the ministry, the three-month period will give the relevant authority ample time to hire for the position, the retiring officials had been holding. The ministry said that government employees who retire after completing 25 years of service will be eligible for pension after their voluntary retirement. However, an inquiry will be conducted to fix the responsibility in case of any loses to the retiring officials. The development came after the finance ministry said that a few cases were reported where the retiring officials had submitted their resignations and were accepted by the relevant authorities.

However, the 25 years qualifying service for pension had not been rendered e.g. the period of extra-ordinary leave had not been excluded from the officials’ service. Without the exclusion of the extra-ordinary leave from the service, the servants were declared ineligible for pension, the ministry added. Last month, reports said that the federal government was introducing the Voluntary Pension Scheme from July 1 to replace the existing traditional pension setup on demand of the IMF. All newly recruited government employees will be awarded voluntary pension scheme from July 1, while the old government employees will be given pension from official budget. The government could transfer the employees to new pension scheme with their consent.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan