June 10, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1429

ISLAMABAD, June 9: The budget for 2008-09 will offer Rs100 billion in relief to people in low-income groups, pensioners and salaried class, enhance old-age benefits and unveil an employment scheme.

Dawn learnt on Monday that Saudi Arabia had agreed to provide a grant for the ‘Prime Minister’s Special Support Initiatives’. The grant will be in addition to the Saudi supply of oil on deferred payment.

The budget will also include a 15 per cent increase in government employees’ salary.

Public sector corporations have been asked to offer similar increases, especially to their low-grade employees.

The budget will also contain more contributions from private sector employers, including banking and services sectors, to extend social security to people earning up to Rs10,000 a month. Under the existing programme, this facility would be only for people earning a maximum of Rs5,000 a month.

Similarly, minimum pensions will be increased from Rs1,500 per month to Rs2,000. There is also a proposal to increase the pension for higher groups.

Both public and private sectors have been asked to offer enhanced old-age benefits to their employees for which the government would contribute funds during the next financial year.

Under the ‘National Internship Programme’, remuneration, being paid only to post-graduates, will also be offered to graduates.

The source said that poor and low-income groups would get up to Rs1,200 a month, besides certain commodity support.

The Planning Commission has identified 5.6 million households for help.