KARACHI, Nov 16: Chairman of the Employees Old-age Benefit Institution (EOBI), M Shafi Malik, has expressed determination to provide social protection to the working classes.

He was addressing a workshop on the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 organized by EOBI here on Saturday.

He pointed out that in order to facilitate employers of industrial and commercial sector, amnesty and self-assessment schemes of the EOBI were launched and a number of employers had availed themselves of the amnesty by registering their establishments and employees without paying the arrears and penalty. He added that the last date to make use of the opportunity under the amnesty scheme had been extended up to November 15.

About the self assessment scheme, the EOBI chief stated that all registered employers could opt for the self-assessment scheme by submitting applications and paying a fixed contribution of Rs150 per employee per month. He added that the declaration would be accepted without any question. There would be no record checking for two years. For the continuation of the scheme one month record checking after two years would be made.

Under the self assessment scheme, he further said, the employers would not decrease the total amount of contribution and the number of insured persons registered prior to opting for the scheme and two years thereafter.

He said the level of checking had been raised from the executive officer to the deputy director, and that too after two years, whereas no question would be asked regarding the past two years.

He said that the minimum pension limit had been presently increased to Rs700 as compared to Rs75 per month in 1976.

He pointed out that about 48,000 establishments employing about 1.8 million workers were registered with the EOBI, and nearly 210,000 pensioners were getting benefits.—APP