Govt Makes Asset Declarations Mandatory for Grade 17+ Officers

The government has fulfilled another major condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by making it compulsory for all officers in grade 17 and above to publicly declare their assets. The Federal Board of Revenue announced the changes on Thursday through income tax notification SRO2263, which amends the Sharing of Declaration of Assets of Civil Servants Rules, 2023. The new rule significantly broadens the scope of mandatory disclosure, extending requirements to federal ministries, provincial departments, and autonomous bodies. According to official documents, officers must now submit detailed information on all properties, including bungalows, houses, plots, vehicles, and cash holdings. The requirement applies to both government and semi-government officials. The revisions make asset records of public servants accessible to the public, allowing citizens to track an official’s holdings from the time they join government service. The new rules significantly expand the definition of “public servant” to include officers in BPS-17 and above across federal and provincial governments, as well as employees of autonomous bodies, state-owned enterprises, and government-owned firms. Previously, the requirement applied only to a narrow category of civil servants under the Civil Servants Act of 1973, leaving many officials outside the reporting framework. FBR sources confirmed that these officers will be subject to the same declaration requirements as those serving in federal and provincial departments. Officials working in autonomous and state-run entities will also fall under the new compliance structure. This includes employees of key institutions such as WAPDA, PIA, Sui Gas companies, and OGDCL. Officials exempt under the National Accountability Ordinance of 1999 remain outside the disclosure requirement. Only individuals previously exempt under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, including judges, military officers, and certain other categories, will remain outside the new disclosure mandate. By bringing a wide range of public-sector personnel under a unified disclosure regime, authorities aim to create a more consistent accountability standard and address long-standing concerns about opacity in the assets of state officials, an area closely monitored by the IMF.