Sindh Employees' Social Security Institution (Sessi) has earmarked Rs 1.904 billion for the annual budget 2009-10 of the institution, which is 21 per cent higher than the revised budget for outgoing fiscal year 2008-09. The budget was presented by the commissioner Sessi Muhammad Naseer Jamali in the budget meeting under the chairmanship of Amir Nawab Khan, minister for labour and chairman governing body at SESSI head office on Monday.
Later, Amir Nawab Khan at a press briefing presented the salient features of the budget 2009-10, saying that the budget was aimed at providing maximum benefits to the secured workers and their dependants. He said the institution has anticipated Rs 1.904 billion as income in next fiscal year 2009-10. According to Sessi assessment, Rs 1.718billion would be generated from S.S. Contribution while Rs 175.14 million from Profit on Investment and Rs 11.595 million would be earned from other sources. He said in the revised budget for the year 2008-09 the estimated income was Rs 1.689billion whereas expenditures were to be Rs 1.251 billion.
However, he said, around Rs 1.574 billion has been estimated as total expenditure for the next financial year. According to details, some Rs 1.155billion has been allocated for medical care of secured workers and their dependents. He said that Sessi was spending about 73 percent of its budget on medical care and added that Sessi had established 50 medical out-lets across Sindh including four hospitals, five medical centers, 40 dispensaries and a kidney centre.
Nawab further said that Rs 44.702 million would be spent for cash benefits in case of sickness, employment injury, maternity, disability and other exigencies. He said that 25 pay-offices had been established to pay these cash benefits and added that about 75,000 new workers would be benefited in next financial year.
He said that Sessi had allocated Rs 21million for development expenditure, which include installation of new lift, construction of generator room at social security hospital, Hyderabad, construction of residential apartments at Gulshtan-e-Jouhar for staffers and the installation of separate gas meters at Landhi hospital and KVSS SITE. He further said that around Rs 50million would also be spent for the maintenance of Sessi medical centers and offices in next fiscal year.
He said that some Rs 323.80million had been reserved for administrative expenditure while Rs 25million and Rs 5million earmarked for other expenditures and loans, respectively. He also projected that the number of secured workers would be increased up to 575,000 in next financial year. Alam Din Bullo, Secretary labour, Ahmed, Khalil-ur-Rehman, Haroon Farooqui, Bashir, Mazhar Hussain and Dr Shah Muhammad Noonari, medical advisor Sessi and others attended the briefing.