Home | Headlines | City | Sports | Showbiz | Editorial | Columns | Article | Horoscope | Archive | Contact Us

 

 Print This Page  Add To Favourite    

 

OPF introduces pension scheme for expatriates
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) has launched a self-contributory pension scheme to facilitate about seven million Pakistanis working abroad.
The sachems is being managed by Overseas Pakistanis Pension Trust, which is a subsidiary of OPF.
OPF sources told APP here on Thursday that majority of the overseas Pakistanis has been working in the Middle East in informal sectors and do not enjoy any social security cover either in the country of employment or at home.
“The pension scheme was necessitated to provide them a cover during old age, serious disability and in case of death,” sources said.
The OPF has asked overseas Pakistanis, to get themselves registered with the foundation to get membership, which is a must for utilising the pension scheme.
Sources said that different pension packages have been finalised by the foundation offering 5, 10 and 15-year plan with option of lump sum and annual payments.
Minimum contribution has been fixed at Rs.24,000 instalment for the annual payment plan and Rs.120,000 for the lump sum payment plan.
The OPF pension sachems provides options to the applicants to decide how much they like to contribute. It has not fixed maximum limit of contribution for however advises that all contributions are payable in US dollars at prevailing exchange rate.
However, if the members comes back to Pakistan permanently, he could be given balance payment in Pakistani rupees.
On maturity of the plan, pension would be paid through the nearest bank of the subscriber, however, in case of subscriber’s demise, the payment of pension shall continue to the nominee and then to the children till the youngest becomes 18 years old, sources added.

Copyright © 2007 The Daily Mail.  All rights reserved