ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development on Thursday unanimously approved government’s “The Companies Profits (Workers Participation) (Amendment) Bill 2023.”
Presided over by Sheikh Fayazud Din, the committee was informed that in accordance with the Companies Profit (Workers Participation) Act of 2022, the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) which operates under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development (OP&HRD) ensures the employees share in company profits.
According to this Act, every eligible company has to establish at Workers’ participation fund through Board of Trustees which will manage and administer the Fund in line with provisions of the Act.
Overseas Pakistanis: CM for prompt redressal of grievances
The Act needed to be amended following the 18th amendment, and the revisions aim to increase the benefits that are available to industrial workers by expanding the Act’s scope to include the Federation which are not included in any province as well as other amendments to uphold the spirit of 18th amendment. The Committee also discussed issues being faced by the Overseas Pakistan, recent incident of deaths of Pakistanis on a boat in Greece and matters related to salaries of OPF’s employees.
The Committee was informed that actions are being taken against Overseas Promoters who are involved in fraud with Pakistanis who intend to go abroad for employment.
The Bureau of Immigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE), an Organization of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources only register outgoing intending emigrants. The departure detail of emigrants is not available with BE&OE. However, it has created linkage of its portal with the portal of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) where BE&OE matches the data of registered emigrants with actually departed emigrants.
During April to November 202,527,097 emigrants proceeded abroad against registered number of emigrants i.e. 540,373 emigrants.
The behaviour of Pakistanis in foreign countries also came under discussion and one of the members of the Committee Syed Javed Hasnain cited different examples which earned a bad name for the country.
During discussion on recent boat incident in which over 300 Pakistanis lost their lives, Javed Hasnain accused Pakistani embassies in Libya, Italy, and Greece for such incidents.
Member National Assembly, Ms Aliya Kamran and Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto gave tough time to the officials of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development and its attached Organizations for allegedly not sharing facts with them.
According to press release Managing Director, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) appreciated the hard work and the services of the Convener of the Sub-Committee already appointed under the convenership of Syed Javed Hasnain, MNA in relation of OPF Velley Zone-V and surcharge issues.
The Committee Constituted the Sub-Committee under the convenership of Syed Javed Hasnain, with Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Shakila Luqman, Shahnaz Saleem Malik, and MNA’s as members of the Sub-Committee. The Committee will look into the surcharge issues of OPF Velley Zone-V along with issues of OPF regarding sacked employees, promotion/upgradation, court/legal cases and OPF school teacher’s issues
The committee considered the government bill, titled, “The Companies Profits (Workers Participation) (Amendment) Bill, 2023” and unanimously passed the said legislation. 6.
Besides Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the meeting was attended by Syed Javed Hasnain, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto. Aliya Kamran, MNA’s and senior officers from Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution, Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, Law and Justice also attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023