For the first time the entire staff and officers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been given one-month salary as bonus. The amount was handed over along with the salary of August. This unexpected move on the part of CAA management has been appreciated by the beneficiaries, which include all categories of employees.
The bonus was allowed following the approval of the budget for the financial year ending June 30, 2007 and the extra-ordinary financial results achieved during the financial year ended June 30, 2006. The revenues of the Authority increased from Rs 5.4 billion in 2003 to Rs 6.5 billion in 2004, Rs 8.3 billion in 2005 and Rs 10.2 billion in 2006.
According to a CAA source, the Authority is badly handicapped because of outstanding CAA dues against Pakistani carriers. Had they been paying the handling, parking and other charges to the CAA regularly, not only the revenues would increase tremendously, the Authority, instead of depending on loans for the construction and development of airports, would be able to meet the expenditure from its own resources.
It is heartening indeed that the CAA has paid off all its loans and the long-term liabilities were reduced to Rs 3.2 billion in 2006 from Rs 10.7 billion in 2003. A sum of Rs 4 billion will be available during the budget year 2007 to finance the annual development plan, the source said.