ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed on Thursday informed the National Assembly that the income of Pakistan Post has declined due to stoppage of saving and welfare schemes and suffered Rs 2 billion loss.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice raised by Nighat Parveen Mir and others regarding stoppage of saving and welfare schemes of Pakistan Post resulting into financial crisis, the minister said the post office was working under 1873 Act and earlier it had also running saving accounts. However, now such saving accounts were being maintained by the National Savings, he added.
The minister said that in 2004, the then Prime Minister had issued directives to restore all such schemes but could not restore so far.
He said currently around 12,000 post offices were working across the country where 1.5 million retired employees were getting their pensions.
The minister said the saving schemes were just confined to the cities and mostly remotes areas were not getting such benefits.
He said Pakistan Post was an asset of the country and more attention would be given to make it a profit earning institution.
He said the government is considering different schemes to improve financial position of Pakistan Post.
Source: APP