‘New pay scale for govt employees at final stage, announcement anytime’

Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar on Sunday said the new pay scale for government employees is at the final stage and could be announced at any time.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Asked about the latest progress on the new pay structure, Abdus Sattar said, “The pay scale is under consideration and the government has made a commitment. We will implement it. It is at the final stage and could be announced at any moment.”

He also acknowledged concerns that a new pay scale could put further pressure on inflation and make things more difficult for the public.

“That is also under our consideration. Generally, a pay scale is introduced every five to six years. The previous government did not announce one for 11 years, leaving us with the pressure of 1.8 million employees,” he said.

“Perhaps it will be somewhat difficult for the public. But employees are also entitled to adjust their living standards in line with inflation. The pay scale should normally come every five to six years. It has now been nearly 12 years,” he added.

The government has been working on the Ninth National Pay Scale to revise the salaries and allowances of public-sector employees.

The Ninth National Pay Commission recommended raising the minimum basic salary from Tk8,250 to Tk20,000 and the maximum from Tk78,000 to Tk1.6 lakh. The commission submitted its report on January 21, estimating that implementation of the recommendations would require around Tk1.06 trillion.

The government currently spends around Tk1.31 trillion annually on salaries for government employees and pensions for retired officials and employees, according to information cited by bdnews24.com.

Speaking about the prevailing market situation, Abdus Sattar said there were some problems in the market and that the government was working to address them.

“You have noticed that the production chain may have been disrupted somewhat due to some issues related to fuel and electricity. This will be resolved, InshaAllah,” he said.