KARACHI: The Sindh Workers Welfare Board has cut all its major welfare expenditures due to non-release of funds since March and could face monetary challenges after June 30 if transfer of funds is not ensured in time.

This was revealed during a briefing to caretaker Minister for Labour and Human Resources Simon John Daniel here at the Workers Welfare Board head office.

Secretary of the board Mehdi Shah informed that the governing body had completed its term and owing to delay in reconstitution of new governing body “we were unable to present budget for the financial year 2018-19”.

He added that procedure of funds’ transfers to the board had also been changed without informing the board.

“When we approached the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) for the transfer of funds collected from industrial units/companies under Sindh Workers Welfare Fund, we were verbally advised to approach the finance depa­rtment for release of funds [as] SRB had transferred funds amounting to around Rs2 billion to the finance department,” the secretary of the board added.

He informed that formerly workers funds were directly transferred to SWWB by the SRB.

Mr Shah said that at present funds were being collected from companies /industrial units on the basis of old minimum wages.

Minister Simon John Daniel assured the board that he would raise this important issue with the higher authorities of the Sindh government.

He also directed officials concerned to convene a joint meeting of the labour secretary and the board administration with the secretary of finance on urgent basis to resolve this matter.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2018