Finance Minister AMA Muhith expressed the hope Tuesday that the pay rises for government service-holders would help reduce corruption in public sector and urged people not to bribe any venal official.
"People should refuse paying since no government employee now can say that they need money (bribe) for eating," he told newsmen after some government employees greeted him at his secretariat office a day after the new pay scale got cabinet nod.
The finance minister commented that corruption had reached an intolerable stage due to low salary of government officials. "Now we can think that due to paying handsome salary corruption will be reduced."
The minister warned that the government would now be stricter in the matter of corruption. "Earlier, we had been bit merciful in case of petty corruption cases but now we will be stricter."
Mr Muhith observed some people were forced to be corrupt because of small salary. "Now they won't exist since the pay is now doubled."
The finance minister, however, hastened to add: "But corruption is not as simple--this is not one item that determines corruption."
He hoped that there would be a reflection of pay hike in public sector in the private sector. "As a result, the number of happy people will increase. It will have an impact on corruption climate as a whole."
However, the minister said, there are some people who will continue to indulge in corruption.
For an example, he said the government sent beggars back to the villages with rehabilitation package. "But they returned to the cities in Dhaka and Chittagong some days afterwards."
That's why this year he didn't keep any allocation for beggar rehabilitation what he did during the last six years.
"Begging is now profession of some of them and I have no sympathy for any beggar," Mr Muhith said.
Terming the new pay scale a landmark, the minister said such increases in salary had not happened in the past. "(The hike is) highest ever in the history of the country."
He said from now on there will be no pay commission rather an official will be appointed permanently whose responsibility will be to submit a report to the cabinet division every year by taking into consideration the inflationary pressure. "Actions will be taken based on his report."
Asked about the impact of pay hike for government employees on market, the finance minister said there is no chance of price hike of commodities centring new pay scale. "But if price increases, the government has nothing to do. The government can create influence only but can't control the market."
He said private-sector employees always get higher salary than public servants'. The government re-fixes minimum wages for labourers at some intervals.
Regarding exclusion of selection grade and time-scale from the new pay scale the minister said those are discriminatory. Very few get those benefits and most are deprived.
"Instead, every year they will get pay hike at certain percentage. Besides, from now on a government employee will get new scale (higher grade) once he stays a certain period at top position of a scale."
The minister hopes inflation will continue to decline. "There is no expectation of any change in the inflation situation." He termed price hike by businessmen as an outcome of 'ill motive'.
"They raise profit margins (in such events). There is no example of making such high profit margins in the world except Bangladesh. None of our investors does want to make investment unless he can be sure of getting 20 per cent profit margin."
Mr Muhith said in other countries investment takes place in the returns of 5.0 to 10 per cent depending on inflation level in the country.
syful-islam@outlook.com
Pay rises to help cut graft in public sector: Muhith
FE Report | Published: September 09, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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