Chairman Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EoBI), Zafar Iqbal Gondal has said that out of the total documented 59 million labour force, only three million are registered with the institute. Addressing a seminar on 'Benefits of Registration with EoBI', here on Thursday, Gondal said that they are ready for conducting inspections to find out about 56 million missing workers. The target, he said would be achieved by the end of the current financial year.
He said that workers, employers and EoBI are the main stakeholders in registration of employees with the institute. He said that rights of missing 56 million workers would be protected through bringing them into the network of the organisation. He said that the institute will have to achieve the target of 100 percent Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) adjustment by end of June to eliminate blight of bogus pensioners and labourers in the country. He further also said efforts for elimination of the menace of fake workers and bogus pension books have continued saying the issuance of the institute card has been linked with the submission of CNICs. He noted that the alliance of employees and employers has opened doors of corruption, adding employers should not consider EoBI contribution as tax and respect rights of labourers as they have voluntarily accepted this responsibility.
Regarding the complaints in issuance of pension books, Gondal said neither any employer nor any employee has lodged a formal complaint in this regard. But, still, some people succeed in getting bogus pension book from the institution, he added. He termed provision of pension book responsibility of the employer. He said that 'employers have the pension as bargaining check in their hands'. He stressed that at-least three million workers should guarantee that they have received EoBI cards, then no one could get bogus pension.
Chairman EoBI maintained that the problem of the bogus labourers could be resolved only after achievement of the target of 100 per cent CNICs. The menace, he said could be eliminated only payment through national identity card number and for this purpose a lifelong account number would be issued to labourers after completion of thorough verification. However, he said that none of the labour leader has lodged complained of lack of contribution. He urged labour leaders to pinpoint such instances in the larger interest of the community.
He informed that recovery from the defaulters is also on the agenda of the institute, saying 50 percent arrears would be recovered in the current and the remaining half in next financial year to bring it down to zero per cent. To a demand regarding increase in pensions, he pointed out that before coming into power of this government, it was only rupees 1,500 per month and during last two years, it was first increased to Rs 2,000 and then to Rs 3,000 per month, showing 100 per cent increase. He hinted at further increase in the pension after passage of the present situation. Regarding restoration of the matching grant, EoBI chairman said that at initial stage it was issued due to the lack of resources, but now the institute has resources to the tune of Rs 180 billion. However, he said that only Rs 64 billion have been generated through contribution and the remaining hard-earned through investment of resources.