Karachi:
The chairman of the Sindh’s Public Accounts Committee, Nisar Khuhro, said that since its creation, the Social Security Institution for Sindh (SESSS) employees had not suffered an audit.
Sessi informed the CAP that his director had decided not to carry out an audit, but Khuhro wondered if Sessi considered himself above the Constitution, refusing to undergo an audit. He stressed that Sessi is not exempt from the audits and therefore ordered an audit of the institution.
Khuhro, the president of the PPP’s Sindh chapter, expressed these points of view while speaking to a ceremony to mark the 72nd birth anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, organized by the Popular Labor Office at the Sessi headquarters on Thursday. Provincial Labor Minister Shahid Abdul Salam was also present on this occasion.
Nisar Khuhro stressed that sessi’s medical supplies worth 8 billion rupees are not audited. He called into question the functioning of hospitals in the institution despite the large amount of funds allocated to medication.
He pointed out that an audit of the 8 billion rupee allowance is essential to determine the appropriate use of funds and the operation of hospital equipment.
The Sessi informed that on funds of 13 billion rupees, 70% were spent on health services, including medicines for hospitals and 30% on the management of Secci.
Khuhro suggested that the Labor Department should focus on the supply of drugs to workers via sessi hospitals. He stressed that out of 670,000 industrial units, only 240,000 are recorded with Sessi, while the actual number of workers is around six million.
Khuhro said that the non-registration of industrial units and their workers is a major weakness in the social protection institution. He suggested that the Labor Department should take action to record workers, including those working in stores. He stressed that the minimum wg of RS37,000 for workers in the private sector is not implemented. If the minimum wage of RS37,000 is not applied, then how can the implementation of a higher salary of 42,000 rupees be expected? Consequently, the Labor Department should ensure the implementation of the minimum wage policy of the Sindh government for workers in the public and private sectors.
