Raking in the moolah: How much do legislators make?

[ghazi52]

Raking in the moolah: How much do legislators make?

The Express Tribune breaks down salaries, allowances of MNAs and MPAs. PHOTO: AFP


KARACHI: A total of 11,855 candidates campaigned for the power of crafting legislations that can shape the country’s future – but only 849 made it to the finish line on July 25. Unlike popular myth, legislating does not equate welfare. The occupants of the august houses are state employees who get duly compensated for the period they choose to serve the nation. The Express Tribune decodes salaries and perks aspiring lawmakers will attain during their tenure.

National Assembly

Salary Rs 150,000

Monthly allowance Rs173,000
Office allowance Rs8,000
Telephone allowance Rs10,000
Sumpturary allowance Rs5,000
Travel and Daily allowances (special) Rs3,000
Travel and Daily allowances (ordinary) Rs1,750
Allowance for conveyance Rs2,000
Housing allowance Rs2,000
Travel allowance per year
Vouchers or cash Rs300,000 or Rs90,000
Air fare 20 Business class tickets
Apart from a basic salary of Rs150,000, a member of the lower house of the Parliament is also entitled to Rs8,000 per month for office maintenance, free landline or cash compensation worth Rs10,000 with a sumptuary allowance of Rs5,000.


The allowances allotted to an MNA throughout an NA session or a standing committee meeting include daily allowance worth Rs3,000 (special) and Rs1,750 (ordinary) per day, Rs2,000 for conveyance and housing in the capital while a business class plane ticket with a Rs150 voucher or one seat in the air-conditioned compartment of a train and another in 2nd class compartment is provided by the federal government. If a member chooses to travel by road, they are compensated Rs10 per kilometer.



Annual travel stipend includes Rs300,000 voucher or Rs90,000 in cash, 20 business class air tickets – which can be utilised by the lawmakers or their family members. For a parliamentarian, travelling in Pakistan International Airline and Pakistan Railways is free of cost.

Members of Parliament (salaries and allowances) Act, clause 13 entitles the speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the opposition to salaries and privileges of a federal minister under the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975. Hence, the two leaders are admissible to a basic salary of Rs200,000 with one-time equipment allowance of Rs5,000 along with the expense incurred by the speaker or opposition leaders and their family members while moving to the capital – where the government provides official residence and Rs22,000 per month in utility bills. If the speaker or opposition leader does not take up official residence, they are compensated with a cheque of Rs103,125 per month.

National Assembly Speaker and Leader of the Opposition

Salary Rs 200,000

Equipment allowance 5,000
Sumptuary allowance Rs6,000
Transport Use of official car
Official residence Rs103,125
Utility allowance Rs22,000
Telephone Free
Travel allowance on official duty Access to PAF and provincial govt helicopters
Daily allowance Rs3,000
Life Insurance Rs300,000

When travelling on duty, the leaders can avail economy class air fare on domestic flights and business class tickets for international. They are also provided a free landline, an official car and granted access to Pakistan Air Force and provincial government’s helicopters. Additionally, personal staff, a secretary, provident fund and health and life insurance are all included in the package.

Chairpersons of standing committees are entitled to a further honorarium salary of Rs12,700 with additional telephone allowance worth Rs10,000 and Rs5,000 for office and home use beside a fully furnished office and a personal assistant.

Chairman of standing committees

Honorarium salary Rs 12,700

Telephone (office) Rs10,000
Telephone (home) Rs5,000
Provincial Assemblies

The salaries, allowances and privileges for legislators vary as per Acts passed by the respective assembly.

In Sindh, a member of provincial assembly is given a basic salary of Rs24,000 with a sumptuous allowance worth Rs4,800, Rs16,000 in house rent and Rs4,800 in utility bills per month. Daily allowances stands at Rs859 and additional Rs640 for conveyance. When travelling on duty, the MPA will be compensated with Rs2,000 per day for accommodation and travel fare outlining a business class air ticket, amount equal to that of a train ticket and Rs20 per kilometer if travelling by road.

A Sindh Assembly member is also entitled to free travel expense for Rs120,000, telephone and office maintainence stands at Rs5,000 and Rs8,000 each.

Members of Sindh Assembly

Salary Rs 24,000

Sumptuous allowance Rs4,800
House rent Rs16,000
Utility allowance Rs4,800
Daily allowance Rs859
Daily conveyance Rs640
Subsidy Rs450
Traveling allowance Rs120,000
Telephone allowance Rs5,000
Office allowance Rs8,000

A legislator who gets elected to the Punjab Assembly receives a basic salary of Rs18,000 along with sumptuous allowance of Rs10,000. The house rent and utility bills stand at Rs29,000 and Rs6000 per month while daily allowances are at Rs1,000 and Rs600 for conveyance. Further, Rs1,500 is granted for accommodation when travelling on duty. The travel allowance for air and train are same as Sindh Assembly.

The MPAs are entitled to free travel worth Rs117,000 per annum while telephone and office allowance stands at Rs10,000 each. Meanwhile life insurance is worth Rs500,000.

Members of Punjab Assembly

Salary Rs 18,000

Sumptuous allowance Rs10,000
House rent Rs29,000
Utility allowance Rs6,000
Daily allowance Rs1,000
Daily conveyance Rs600
Traveling allowance Rs117,000
Telephone allowance Rs10,000
Office allowance Rs10,000
Life Insurance Rs500,000


In contrast, a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is entitled to basic salary of Rs80,000 per month and a sumptuous allowance of Rs4,800. The house rent stands at Rs30,000 while utility bills worth Rs,4800 are paid by the government. The daily and conveyance allowances are Rs100 and Rs640 respectively. For travelling, the legislator is given Rs1,600 per day for accommodation while free travel worth Rs120,000 per annum is specified. While train and by road allowances for K-P are same as Punjab’s, the MPA is restricted to a economy class air ticket. The telephone and office maintenance stipend is Rs10,000 each.

Members of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly

Salary Rs 80,000
Sumptuous allowance Rs10,000
House rent Rs30,000
Utility allowance Rs4,800
Daily allowance Rs100
Daily conveyance Rs640
Traveling Rs120,000
Telephone allowance Rs10,000

 

[ghazi52]

Raking in the moolah: How much does a senator make?

PHOTO: AFP

A basic salary. A housing allowance. Another for office maintenance. Interested in learning how much a senator makes? The Express Tribune cuts through the figure clutter to do just that.

A senator receives a sumptuary allowance for daily expenditures. The allowance is free of income tax. A travelling allowance is allotted for every journey performed for attending a session, committee meeting or attending to any other business connected with a senator’s duties as a member from his usual residence to the destination.

A housing allowance is paid to every member. Senators are also entitled to a telephone allowance where facilities for installation are available. Members also receive an office maintenance allowance.

Chairman

The Senate chairman is allotted salaries based on The chairman (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975. The chairman’s gross pay is Rs 123,676. This can be broken down into basic pay, sumptuary allowance, adhoc relief and allowances. A number of deductions bring gross pay down to Rs 116,674.

Besides a gross salary, the chairman is entitled to enviable perks. These include an equipment allowance, allowances on taking and leaving office (this includes traveling expenses for self and family, personal servants and transporting household articles when taking or leaving office). The chairman is also entitled to the use of an official car maintained at government expense and an official residence without payment of rent over his tenure. A residential telephone at government expense is also provided along with travelling allowance for journeys within Pakistan on official business.

Deputy chairman

The deputy senate chairman is allotted salaries based on The Dy. Chairman (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975. The deputy chairman’s gross pay is Rs 232,976 which can be broken down into basic pay, sumptuary allowance, house rent allowance, adhoc relief and allowances.

Standing committee chairmen

Standing Committee chairmen are allotted salaries based on The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 1974 & The Federal Services Medical Attendance Rules, 1990. Senators chairing standing committees are entitled to salaries on both accounts. The gross pay of a standing committee chairman is Rs 89,502.

Standing Committee chairmen are entitled to facilities such as a staff car, a private secretary, a stenographer, a driver and a naib qasid. Moreover, they also receive travel vouchers of the value or Rs 300,000 per year or Rs 90,000 cash in lieu of travel vouchers. Twenty business class open return air tickets are also provided. Free office accommodation with necessary furniture and equipment is also provided.

Leader of the house

The leader of the house makes Rs 245,440 as gross salary. A number of deductions bring the pay down to Rs 235,826.

Leader of the opposition

The leader of the opposition is paid Rs 254,467 in gross pay. Following Rs28,102 in deductions, the figure comes down to Rs217,365.

Members

Senators are alloted salaries based on the The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowance) Act, 1974 and The Federal Services Medical Attendance Rules, 1990. Senators are paid a basic salary of Rs 27,377 excluding allowances. These include Rs5,000 sumptuary allowance Rs 8,000 for office maintenance, Rs 10,000 telephone allowance, adhoc relief (2010) Rs11,903, 15% adhoc in (2011) 3,571, 20% adhoc relief (2012) Rs 5,475, 10% adhoc relief (2013) Rs 2,738, 10% adhoc Relief (2014) Rs 2,738. Total salary: Rs76,802.

Travel allowance include vouchers of the value of Rs 300,000 per year or Rs90,000 cash in lieu per year. Senators also allotted twenty business class open return air tickets per year. Daily allowance, conveyance allowance and housing allowance for attending a session or committee meeting at the following rates per day for the period of residence on duty (stay at place where session or committee meeting is held); ordinary daily allowance is Rs 1,750. Special daily allowance is Rs3,000, conveyance allowance is Rs 2,000 and housing allowance is Rs2,000. Senators are also eligible for free medical.

The aforementioned data has been extracted from senate.gov.pk

 

[Dark-Destroyer]

there needs to be a national Minimum wage for these people especially as big thief's they are.

 

[!eon]

The real thing is development funds, which aren't mentioned here.

 

[SQ8]

Sadly I was part of eating off this stuff; a panini, fries and a frappe at Karachi airport which a MNA paid for. Ah, glorious bliss of sarkari khata khori.