The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has granted approval to Senator Irfan Siddiqui’s proposals aimed at resolving the financial crisis faced by Radio Pakistan. During today’s meeting, Senator Siddiqui presented his recommendations to the committee.
Previously, In a letter addressed to Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Siddiqui highlighted the need for radio licenses to be mandatory, as outlined in Section 13 of the Radio Act. He emphasized that this clause had been suspended for an extended period.
To address this issue, Senator Siddiqui proposed the establishment of a new mechanism to enforce the collection of radio license fees, drawing inspiration from the practices of other international networks such as BBC, Voice of America, and Akashwani. These networks receive government grants and collect radio fees from households in their respective countries.
Additionally, Senator Siddiqui suggested an increase in the amount charged with electricity bills from 35 rupees to 50 rupees. By allocating an extra 15 rupees to Radio Pakistan, an estimated sum of 4 billion rupees could be generated, effectively alleviating the financial challenges faced by the organization.
During the committee session, Senator Siddiqui highlighted the plight of radio pensioners who have not received their pensions for the past three months.
Tragically, a Naib Qasid passed away due to a cardiac arrest resulting from the non-payment of pension for an extended period. Furthermore, he informed the committee that radio employees have been receiving incomplete salaries for the past two months.
