WAFAQI MOHTASIB(OMBUDSMAN), PAKISTAN 

OMBUDSMAN DIRECTS TO SET UP E-PENSION SYSTEM
E-PENSION SYSTEM SHOULD ALSO BE REPLICATED IN PROVINCES

Syed Tahir Shahbaz, the Federal Ombudsman, has directed the Controller General of Accounts and AGPR to set up an E-Pension System at an early date and connect all federal government departments with it. He also directed the representatives of ministries and departments to initiate pension cases 15 months prior to the date of superannuation of an employee. He chaired a high level meeting to simplify the pension system through automation in the federal government departments.The representatives. of different ministries, departments, AGPR and Controller General of Accounts attended the meeting. The Dy. Accountant General (Pension), AGPR gave a detailed briefing on e-pension/automation system and informed that 94% pension cases of gazetted officers and 80% of non gazatted pensioners had been channelized through the automated pension system and their pension was being paid through bank accounts. She also informed that 9856 pension cases were received in AGPR in 2018, out of which 9845 had been approved for payment.

Under the orders of Wafaqi Mohtasib, pension cells had already been established in all departments to initiate pension cases of an employee, one year prior to his/her date of retirement. AGPR had also been directed to finalize the pension case of an employee one month prior to his retirement date. The representative of AGPR further informed that a new policy was being formulated under which a retiring employee would automatically start receiving 65% of his basic pay as anticipatory pension, if his pension papers had not been finalized by the department.

She informed that under the e-pension system, the data of all departments would automatically be inter-connected with the e-system of AGPR and their complete information would be available with the AGPR. She said that in future under one budget allocation agency, the transfer of GP fund, pension contribution etc. would not be required from other departments and it would automatically accumulate in the account of an employee while serving other departments. The Ombudsman directed that AGPR should provide details and reasons of pending pension cases beyond 30 days. He further directed that the e-pension system should also be replicated in the offices of Provincial Accountant Generals.