Fact-check: Will the new Senate salary bill, if made law, add to govt expenses?
Certain allowances and perks in the new bill have remained unchanged, others will add an additional burden to the national exchequer, if made law
Updated Tuesday Jun 20 2023
The chairman of the Senate has claimed that a new bill, which hikes up the salary and perks of the chairperson, will not burden the national exchequer or add to government expenses.
The claim is false.
Claim
On Monday, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani told the Senate, the upper house of Pakistan’s parliament, that there was much misinformation circulating about the Chairman Senate (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act 2023, passed by the Senate on June 16.
“The media has presented this bill as if it will add billions of rupees of financial burden on the government and this poor country,” he said, “Let me make this clear that the senate of Pakistan has neither made a single rupee increase in its budget nor in this bill.”
Sanjrani also added that it was necessary to make certain amendments in the original law, the Chairman and Speakers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act 1975, due to inflation, increase in prices and house rents over the years.
Fact
The claim is not true.
While certain allowances and perks in the new bill have remained unchanged or have only been hiked up moderately. However, other amendments to the 1975 law will add an additional burden to the national exchequer, if made law.
Below is a breakdown that provides all the changes made in 2023 to the 1975 law.
It must be noted that as of today, June 20, the bill has only been passed by the Senate and not by the national assembly.
|
Salaries, Allowance, Privileges |
Act 1975 (updated in 2018) |
Bill 2023 |
Will it burden the national exchequer? |
|
Salary |
Rs205,000 per month |
Rs205,000 per month |
|
|
Sumptuary allowance (speaker and chairman senate) |
Rs6,000 per month |
Rs50,000 per month |
|
|
Transport for chairman senate, speaker and family |
One car at government expense |
More than one car at government expense (exact number not specified) |
Yes |
|
Official residence chairman and speaker |
Will not pay rent.
Assessed rent Rs139,219 per month |
Will not pay rent.
Assessed rent Rs250,000 per month |
|
|
Furnishing cost |
Rs100,000 for speaker and chairman senate |
Rs5 million for only chairman |
Yes |
|
If no official residence provided |
Speaker and chairman to be paid Rs103,125 per month |
Rs500,000 per month for only chairman senate |
|
|
If home used as official residence |
Rs103,125 per month for speaker and chairman senate |
Rs250,000 for chairman senate only |
|
|
Travel allowance |
Rs150 for every 24 hours and Rs75 for a lesser period, in addition to daily allowance for speaker and chairman senate |
Rs10,000 for 24 hours and allowance of Rs5,000 for a lesser period, in addition to daily allowance only for chairman senate.
|
|
|
Travel by air |
Speaker and chairman can requisition, at government expenses, any airplane or helicopter belonging to PAF or provincial government or any flying club. |
Chairman can requisition any airplane by federal government, provincial government, armed forces, any flying club and any chartered air service.
|
Yes |
|
When using a PAF airplane |
Non-official will only be allowed to travel after being authorized by Ministry of Defense |
Omitted |
|
|
Official business |
Rs10 per kilometer on public transport, Rs150 per kilometer on private car and in any other case allowance of Rs150 per day for speaker and chairman senate. |
Rs300 per kilometer on public transport, Rs400 per kilometer on private car and in any other allowance of Rs1,000 per day only for chairman senate. |
|
|
When on tour abroad |
On non-availability of accommodation in government guest house, chairman senate and speaker will be paid rent for a small suite in a hotel |
No condition of availability of government guest houses.
Chairman senate will stay in a hotel and will be reimbursed for a suite.
|
Yes |
|
Traveling |
Nothing |
Chairman will be given the protocol of the deputy head or state and vice president when traveling abroad.
|
|
|
Medical facilities |
Chairman senate and speaker will be entitled to medical facilities under the Special Medical Attendance Rules. |
Medical facilities in public and private hospitals and medical facilities at residence for chairman and his family.
On retirement, the chairman and wife or widow are entitled to medical facilities for life. |
Yes |
|
Personal staff post retirement |
As prescribed by the government. |
12 supporting staff either from existing senate or contract appointments.
|
Yes |
|
Compensation in case of air accident |
Rs300,000 |
Rs10 million |
|
|
Salary when on leave |
Rs63,480 per month |
Rs200,000 per month |
|
|
Discretionary grant |
Rs600,000 per annum |
Rs1.8 million per annum |
Yes |
|
Additional privileges |
To be granted by federal government |
To be granted by the finance committee of the senate. |
|
|
Security |
Suitable security |
Six sentries at the residence on retirement, four personnel of police, anti-terrorism force, rangers, frontier corps and frontier constabulary.
|
Yes |
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