The government has issued termination notices to more than 50 employees of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP)-funded projects of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform.

An official of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity that more than 50 would lose their jobs in December this year as the government has decided not to extend their contracts. He said that the ministry issued extension letters to the employees of the projects for six months covering period from June 2019 to December 2019 along with termination letters. "The employees have been told to consider their services terminated by end December," he said.

The sources said that the Secretary Planning, Development and Reform decided to close development projects including the "Up-gradation of Jawaid Zafar Computer Center" (JACC) which began in 2006, "Establishment of Climate Change /Environment Section" started in 2003 and "Institutional Strengthening". Most of the employees had been serving for the last 10 years in these projects.

Sources added that employees of JZCC whose services were terminated included one officer of grade 19, 10 officers of grade 18, five of grade 17 and seven of grade 16.

In order to slash PSDP spending, the PTI government, in May 2019, shut down 12 projects of the Ministry of Planning of around Rs 13 billion, including Vision 2025 project launched by the previous government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019