ISLAMABAD: The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation, on Friday, formed a sub-Committee to investigate the issue of overpayment of Rs272 billion to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) pensioners and submit a report to the committee within 30 days. A special audit was also recommended.

The meeting was presided over by Senator Hidayatullah where members were briefed on various issues that are currently being faced by the aviation sector in Pakistan.

The meeting commenced with a briefing of issues related to the payment of pensions and emoluments to retired employees of the CAA that retired between 2014 to 2015, and 2022 to 2023.

The committee was informed that the said retired employees were supposed to be paid pensions and other emoluments according to the CAA Pay and Pensions Regulations, 2014 (amended 2019); however, instead have been paid according to the Government of Pakistan as per CAA Service Regulations 2000.

The PCAA inadvertently kept granting pension increases in line with the federal government till 2019. This resulted in an overpayment to CAA pensioners the disbursement of which amounts to PKR 272 billion.

The committee stressed the need for stringent investigations to probe the matter and formed a sub-committee for this purpose. Directions were given to submit a report to the committee within 30 days.

Matters taken up by the committee included payment of pensions and emoluments to retired employees of the CAA that retired between 2014 to 2015 and 2022 to 2023; issues faced by retired employees related to house grants, medical and leave encashment; setting up of counters of different agencies at all airport in one place to facilitate passengers and cutting of international airline routes due to non-remittance of ticket sales in foreign exchange.

Deliberating over the matter of setting up of counters of different agencies at all airports in one place to facilitate passengers, the committee recommended that trainings may be conducted to sensitize staff to a more cordial environment.

Reviewing the matter of cutting of international airline routes due to non-remittance of ticket sales in foreign exchange, the committee decided to send recommendation in writing to the ministry to call a collective meeting with all airline heads in order to dispel the negative opinion built about Pakistan and convince them to resume operations as usual.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023