Hefty perks, pay of PIA CEO, managers echo in Senate

The lawmakers in Senate were stunned to know the hefty pay and perks drawn by the acting chief executive officer (CEO) and four other top managers of crisis-ridden Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The MPs questioned what these officials drawing hefty packages, perks and privileges have exactly been doing to improve the performance of the ailing airline which is going from bad to worse.
So much so, after knowing the pay and perks, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani quipped why not he (Rabbani) and Law Minister Zahid Hamid should also become legal consultants for PIA, as its legal consultant Ahmad Rauf enjoys Rs 1.2 million monthly salary, besides car and medical facilities.
In a written reply, the minister in-charge of the Aviation Division, informed the House that Bernd Hildenbran Eugen, appointed on February 12, 2016 was getting US dollars 30,660 salary (over Rs 3 million), as acting CEO of PIA, wing commander Raheel Ahmad (retd) was inducted as executive director HR and Works on August 15, 2016 with monthly pay of Rs 1.2 million, Tabassum Abdul Qadir appointed as Director Customer Care on same date with same salary package and Ch M Azhar Nawaz as chief of information technology with salary package of Rs 1.1 million. All the five PIA management members also enjoy the facilities of car and medical.
Rabbani said that it was such a heavy top management whereas contrary to it, the employees of grade-5 and above of the cabin crew were not paid the salary of last month and foreign allowance of the last six months. He wondered how they are running their family affairs and bearing school fee of their children. He asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sh Aftab Ahmad to get update on this and share with him in his chamber.
Smile was visible on the faces of Rabbani and other senators when the minister defended induction of intermediate Raheel Ahmad as executive director HR, as PTI Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak wondered how a wing commander, a pilot, could have HR experience and know-how.
"It is the experience that counts. Lieutenants with FA qualification become generals. That is why we have appointed these people, as they lead from the front to serve organisations," the minister said.
He pointed out that the CEO of a company, sitting in an air conditioned office draws Rs 2 million for he uses his brain, whereas a labourer outside drew just Rs 20,000 per month.
Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of MQM also asked a question about the benefits of having highly paid officers in loss-making PIA.
PML-N's Senator Abdul Qayyum called for having a proper pay structure in PIA, noticing the great difference in salaries of PIA staff and these top managers.
Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan to a question by Senator Mashhadi, said that the trade deficit in 2014 was $19.94 billion which rose to $22.1 billion next year and in 2016, it was recorded at $23.96 billion. He said that trade deficit was not a new phenomenon and it has been persisting for decades.
Massive recession in the global market, he pointed out, is one of the major reasons of trade deficit and then he apprised the House of the measures being taken to arrest it, which included offering zero rating in five sectors to exporters and that the free trade agreements with several countries are being reviewed too. He noted that exports had gone up by 6.2 per cent in 2015.
When PML-Functional Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah drew his attention to shifting of sugar mills to cotton growing areas despite the high court's orders and farmers switching over to growing maize, the minister conceded that the purview of his ministry was limited, though it is in touch with the provinces to ensure sugar mills are not relocated to cotton growing areas.
He assured the senator that the ministry would get in touch in this connection with the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, but it was primarily their responsibility.
He also noted that to control contradictions in customs, Pakistan and China are going for electronic data interchange. He added to further streamline the Afghan Transit Trade, state-of-the-art equipment are being installed at Torkham and Chaman border. He brushed the impression that 80 per cent transit trade has been shifted to Iran due to security reasons here. He claimed that the figures of trade in 2014-215 showed transit trade recorded at $2.55 billion.
To a question by Senator Shah that while the transit trade potential was painted as over $5 billion by experts, the minister said that various measures are being taken and that Pakistan had offered a preferential trade agreement to Afghanistan, but got no response from the other side.
Senator Nauman disputed a statement by Sheikh Aftab that PPRA rules were followed and tenders were floated for the sale of A-310 plane for a few thousands.