National Savings Certificates Scheme has increased profit rates of pensioners and senior citizens from 13.86 percent to 14.28 percent by a mere .42 percentage points This eyewash relief will be washed away by the tsunami of inflation. The petty relief of .42 percent is not even peanuts considering the pathetic plight of aged and ailing pensioners. I am aware of the challenges faced by our economy but hapless pensioners need not be treated as milking cows. While the negligible increase seems to have been prompted by the understandable need to prop up he next budget it must be made commensurate with the grim reality on the ground. Pensioners and senior citizens should be allowed to die with some measure of dignity and self respect. The increase in NSC profits must therefore be raised to a minimum of 16 percent which used to be the case decades ago.
B A MALIK,
Islamabad, April 3.