Cabinet okays 15% hike in EOBI pensions
Federal cabinet has approved a 15% increase in pensions provided by the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), effective from January 1, 2025, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
The pension increase will be funded through the institution's own resources, ensuring no additional burden on the national budget.
The decision was made during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday. The meeting focused on various socio-economic reforms, including pension schemes and healthcare benefits.
براہِ راست: وزیرِاعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا وفاقی کابینہ کے اجلاس سے خطاب https://t.co/Hv4sk5BcO5 — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 16, 2025
The prime minister directed the formation of a cabinet committee to implement institutional reforms in the EOBI. The committee will also consider proposals to extend old-age benefits to informal workers, including domestic staff, agricultural labourers, and other marginalised workers who have historically been excluded from such schemes.
These reforms aim to ensure that workers in these neglected sectors receive their due rights. Additionally, the cabinet approved the initiation of legal procedures for the Sea Carriage Shipping Documents Bill, 2025, as recommended by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
The cabinet also agreed to extend the exemption on the import of anti-cancer, cardiac, and life-saving drugs for five more years. This extension, proposed by the Ministry of National Health Services, aims to ensure that these critical medicines remain available in hospitals and authorised institutions, though they will not be sold on the open market.
The import of these medicines will now require prior approval from the relevant licensing authority.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairs the Federal Cabinet Meeting pic.twitter.com/yhfUmuaX5g — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 16, 2025
In his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz commended the efforts of provincial governments, the federal administration, and authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) for their arrangements during Muharram. He also praised law enforcement agencies for maintaining law and order during religious observances.
The prime minister acknowledged the need for disaster preparedness, especially during the ongoing monsoon season. He reported on a high-level meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) to strengthen arrangements for dealing with heavy rains.
Read More: Hike in EOBI pensions from May 1
PM Shehbaz also expressed his condolences over the recent loss of lives due to rainfall in various parts of the country, particularly the tragic incident in Swat. He called it an 'unfortunate incident' and stressed the importance of implementing preventive measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
On the economic front, the prime minister expressed satisfaction with recent positive trends in macroeconomic indicators, underlining his government's commitment to improving service delivery and holding ministries accountable for performance.
He said, 'This message I want to make loud and clear – it is all about delivery and service to the nation.' He added that ministries performing well will be recognised, while those falling short will be asked to explain their failures.
The prime minister also praised the Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, for his ministry's efficient use of development funds, highlighting that the development spending had surpassed Rs1 trillion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
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Express Tribune
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Govt greenlights 15% boost in EOBI payouts
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a review meeting on Hajj arrangements for the upcoming year in Islamabad on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Photo courtesy: Radio Pakistan Listen to article The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved 15% increase in pensions provided by the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), effective from January 1, 2025, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. This increase will be funded from the institution's own resources. The meeting of the federal cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The prime minister directed the formation of a cabinet committee to introduce institutional reforms in EOBI. The committee will also deliberate on proposals to extend old-age benefits to the informal labor sector, including domestic workers, agricultural laborers, and other marginalized employment categories that have been previously overlooked. The reforms aim to ensure that workers in these neglected sectors receive their due rights. The cabinet also approved the initiation of necessary legal procedures regarding the draft of the Sea Carriage Shipping Documents Bill, 2025, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. On the recommendation of the Ministry of National Health Services, the cabinet approved a five-year extension of exemption on the import of anti-cancer, cardiac, and life-saving drugs used in hospitals and related healthcare institutions. The medicines are considered vital for saving human lives, and the exemption is intended to ensure their prompt availability. These drugs will be available only in hospitals and authorized institutions, with a ban on open market sales. Import of these medicines will require prior approval from the relevant licensing authority. The cabinet also endorsed the decisions made in the meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases held on July 2, 2025, and July 3, 2025. Earlier addressing the cabinet, the prime minister commended the efforts of all provincial governments, the federal administration, as well as authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) for making the best possible arrangements during Muharram. He also expressed gratitude to the law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders for maintaining law and order during the religious observances. The prime minister also spoke about disaster preparedness amid the ongoing monsoon season. He said he had chaired a high-level meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) to ensure best arrangements. He commended the efforts of NDMA for making arrangements to cope with heavy rains in different parts of the country. He expressed sorrow over the loss of lives due to heavy rainfall in various parts of the country, specifically the tragic incident in Swat. He said it was an unfortunate incident and emphasized the need to learn lessons from it and implement measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. On the economic front, PM Shehbaz expressed satisfaction over the recent positive trends in macroeconomic indicators. He reiterated his government's focus on performance and service delivery, announcing that the performance of ministries would be evaluated every two months. "This message I want to make loud and clearit is all about delivery and service to the nation," the prime minister stressed. He added that ministries performing well will be acknowledged and appreciated, while those falling short will be held accountable and asked to explain. During the meeting, he also praised Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal for his ministry's effective utilization of development funds, noting that the development spending had reached over Rs 1 trillion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
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Govt signs fresh sugar export deal
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The sugar export agreement states that "the federal government will allow, for export of sugar stocks exceeding seven million metric tonnes (carryover plus 2025-26 production), after 30 days of the closing of the crushing season 2025-26." This definition means even imported sugar, if not consumed, could count toward total stock. The stock verification will rely on FBR's track and trace system and be overseen by a four-member committee, one official each from the federal and provincial governments and two from PSMA. Critically, the agreement includes a price-fixing clause that contradicts Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) laws. It states, "The maximum ex-mill price of sugar will be fixed at Rs165 per kg on July 15, 2025, and increased by Rs2 per kg monthly until October 15, 2025." Before last year's sugar exports, ex-mill prices were below Rs140 per kg. 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Economy rescued
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