Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Monday the new pay scale would be placed before the cabinet in its next meeting for approval through a last-ditch discussion on two sticking points.
"Within the next week perhaps," he said when his attention was drawn to the much-discussed pay scale for government officers and employees.
The minister was talking to newsmen after a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh English Medium School Association (BEMSA) at his secretariat office.
Replying to another query regarding extension of the tenure of remaining two installments of the Extended Credit Facility fund, Mr Muhith said a letter had been sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in this regard.
The finance minister, however, could not confirm whether the IMF has responded to his letter or not. He said the finance secretary might give update about it.
Regarding meeting with the BEMSA delegation he said the school owners do not want value added tax (VAT) on house rent.
Mr Muhith said a good number of English-medium schools are established in the country. More than a hundred such schools are now in Dhaka where nearly 10,000 students are studying.
"It means we have developed a lot," he said, likening this academic expansion to a development matrix.
Replying to another query he said the cabinet Monday approved the draft Petroleum Act 2015. "There is hardly anything new there. It's only the translation (of the existing act)."
Mr Muhith said under the present act both local and foreign auditors can audit the accounts of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
Finance Ministry sources said the new pay scale may not contain the provision of timescale and selection grade demanded by a significant number of government employees.
The current budget has an allocation of Tk 451.53 billion, up by more than Tk 160 billion over the fiscal year (FY) 2014-15, for implementation of the new pay scale for government's more than 1.3 million officials and employees excluding those of corporations and autonomous and semi-government offices.
Complexities over implementation of the new pay scale cropped up shortly after the recommendation on pays was made by former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin.
The public servants prefer continuation of selection grades and timescales but the Farashuddin-led commission recommended the scrapping of those. Usually selection grades are applicable to white-collar jobs and the timescales to the blue-collar ones.
However, sources at the Finance Division said the Prime Minister would take the decision as to whether or not to scrap the selection grade and timescale.
syful-islam@outlook.com
New pay scale may be placed in next cabinet meet: Muhith
FE Report | Published: July 28, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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