EOBI will not sustain till 2021, National Assembly told

Minister for Defence Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain Wednesday said that the Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) will not sustain till 2021. Responding to a calling attention notice regarding failure of EOBI to increase the amount of pension of its beneficiaries to the minimum extent as announced by the government, the minister said after the passage of 18th Amendment, the institution has been devolved to provinces.
However, he said a draft bill is being prepared to increase pensions of EOBI pension holders at the Islamabad level. He said a committee was also constituted for resolving the issue of EOBI pension holders.
He said the institution has been shifted to provinces and they should take measures for increasing pension of EOBI beneficiaries. He said provinces and federation are facing problems after the devolution process and there is need to review 18th Amendment. Pervez Malik of PML-N who moved the calling attention notice in the NA said EOBI pension holders are getting Rs 3,600 while the government has announced a minimum pension of Rs 6,000.
Leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said EOBI is sustainable but there is need to increase the registration of industrial workers. He said only 17 percent workers are registered while 83 percent are not. He said that Rs 14 billion of EOBI has been invested. He said the owners of industries should increase 2 percent amount by paying to the institution. Earlier, the opposition leader urged the government to decrease the prices of electricity by passing the benefit of oil price reduction.
He also criticised the government for selling the share of OGDCL and privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills. Responding to another calling attention notice moved by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Co-ordination, Saira Afzal Tarar informed the House that a meeting of the Steering Committee on Wednesday rejected the demand of International Monitoring Board to engage NDMA in anti-polio programme.
All stakeholders have agreed that NDMA does not have the capacity to execute this programme. Therefore, it should continue under the National Action Plan. She said if this programme is given to NDMA, it will be executed by the same team of LHWs and vaccinators who are currently running the project.
The members had expressed concern over rising number of polio cases across the country. They inquired from the minister about campaign as well as other measures to get rid of this menace, she added. The minister explained that primarily it is the responsibility of provinces to execute this campaign while the federal government is having an overview co-ordinating this campaign. She said most of the cases were registered in those areas of Fata where the government had no access.