Islamabad, Nov 11: Government Considers Phasing Out Basic Pay Scale for Contract-Based Hiring, Major Shift in Employment Structure. The federal government is considering significant reforms within the public sector, focusing on gradually eliminating Basic Pay Scales (BPS) for non-gazetted employees and transitioning to contract-based employment.
In line with these reforms, federal healthcare facilities might be transformed into semi-commercial entities through public-private partnerships (PPP) to promote medical tourism, according to Dawn’s report.
This new approach could turn hospitals like the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic into centers that generate revenue. Officials project that health facilities in Islamabad alone could bring in Rs. 80-100 billion over the next five years with the help of PPP-driven medical tourism.
The Ministry of Finance has already initiated contributory pensions for new civil and military personnel to reduce the pension costs, which have exceeded Rs. 1 trillion in the current budget. The government estimates that adopting contract-based hiring throughout federal organizations could result in annual savings of Rs. 35-40 billion.
