ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Wednesday that from May 1, pensions for beneficiaries of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) will be increased, with age verification now relying on CNIC records instead of matriculation certificates.
Audit officials revealed that EOBI had disbursed Rs2.79 billion to 5,131 fake pensioners, many of whom did not meet the eligibility criteria. These ineligible individuals received pensions despite discrepancies between their CNICs and matriculation certificates. Some of the pensioners were underage, with men under 60 and women under 55 receiving pensions.
EOBI officials informed the committee that the institution’s fund stands at Rs600 billion and that any business with at least 10 employees must register with the EOBI. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has pledged to rectify the issue, and PAC Chairman Junaid Akbar Khan emphasized the need for a standard procedure for verifying pensioners’ ages.
The committee also addressed the non-recovery of Rs2.47 billion from 2,864 institutions that failed to fully register their workforce and pay due amounts. EOBI officials have recovered Rs1.53 billion and are working on recovering the remaining Rs1 billion. The committee directed that the recovery process be completed within a month.
