Proposed pay hike for Govt. employees untenable

The implementation of the 9th National Pay Scale for government employees of Bangladesh is now a hot topic. A strong recommendation for enhancement has been proposed. It is indeed imperative to review the present salary structure, as the income of employees across all sectors is no longer up to the mark when compared to yearly inflation.

However, under the proposed recommendations, a 100 per cent enhancement-and in some grades even more than 100 percent-has been suggested, which is not practically viable considering the country's gross revenue position. Amid last year's political unrest and the ongoing global eco-political imbalance, the country currently remains in a vulnerable state.

Moreover, if the pay scale is implemented in line with these recommendations, the prices of daily consumer products are likely to surge rapidly. While employees under the umbrella of government organisations may be able to cope, employees of private organisations will face a severe crisis in maintaining their living standards, as most incremental benefits for them depend directly on the revenue performance of their respective organisations.

Therefore, it is necessary for the regulatory bodies to also take the private sector into consideration. The private sector is a vital part of the country, and its contribution to the economy is by no means negligible. At a time when Bangladesh Bank is in the process of merging nine state-owned banks due to serious financial turmoil, such a significant salary enhancement proposal does not fully align with the prevailing economic situation.

This reflects the broader, holistic condition of the country. Undoubtedly, salary enhancement is necessary; however, it must be rational and proportionate so that other sectors are not adversely affected and the overall economy does not suffer from the burden of its implementation.

Kawsik Azad Pronoy

A banker