Govt ponders 7th Pay Commission
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
The caretaker government is contemplating the creation of a seventh Pay Commission to amend the salary scale of government officials and employees.
The present pay scale will be reviewed by taking into consideration inflation, prices of essentials and overall economic conditions in the country.
Finance and planning adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam speaking exclusively to bdnews24.com Monday said: "In the present situation I am seriously thinking about the formation of a Pay Commission. But it won't be set up as a permanent commission."
A finance ministry official said, "The prices of essentials have risen abnormally, the costs of living have gone up. In this situation, the government officials find it very hard to afford the necessities of a normal life with their salaries."
The official also said that government policymakers fear that if the prices of essentials rise above the buying capacity of government employees they may be engaged in different types of corruption.
"One of the priorities of the present government is to eliminate corruption. The formation of a Pay Commission is being considered so that government officials that are directly involved at all stages of the anticorruption drive do not themselves get involved in corruption," the official said.
At present, government employee salaries are scaled as per the sixth Pay Commission. There are currently 20 pay levels. The highest salary is Tk 23,000 and the lowest Tk 2,400. This pay scale came into effect from January 2005. As a rule, pay commissions are formed every five years in Bangladesh.
But the 5th and 6th pay commissions-as well as the Administration Reform Commission formed during the Awami League government-have in the past recommended the formation of a permanent Pay Commission. Neither of the past governments has implemented the recommendation.
The recommendations said a permanent Pay Commission should review and amend the salary scale of government officials and employees at regular intervals taking into account inflation, market prices and the broader economic situation.
The average inflation rate from July 2006 to April this year was 7.02 per cent, while the average price hike of essential goods was 8.28 per cent in April, according to Bangladesh Bank figures.
The present pay scale will be reviewed by taking into consideration inflation, prices of essentials and overall economic conditions in the country.
Finance and planning adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam speaking exclusively to bdnews24.com Monday said: "In the present situation I am seriously thinking about the formation of a Pay Commission. But it won't be set up as a permanent commission."
A finance ministry official said, "The prices of essentials have risen abnormally, the costs of living have gone up. In this situation, the government officials find it very hard to afford the necessities of a normal life with their salaries."
The official also said that government policymakers fear that if the prices of essentials rise above the buying capacity of government employees they may be engaged in different types of corruption.
"One of the priorities of the present government is to eliminate corruption. The formation of a Pay Commission is being considered so that government officials that are directly involved at all stages of the anticorruption drive do not themselves get involved in corruption," the official said.
At present, government employee salaries are scaled as per the sixth Pay Commission. There are currently 20 pay levels. The highest salary is Tk 23,000 and the lowest Tk 2,400. This pay scale came into effect from January 2005. As a rule, pay commissions are formed every five years in Bangladesh.
But the 5th and 6th pay commissions-as well as the Administration Reform Commission formed during the Awami League government-have in the past recommended the formation of a permanent Pay Commission. Neither of the past governments has implemented the recommendation.
The recommendations said a permanent Pay Commission should review and amend the salary scale of government officials and employees at regular intervals taking into account inflation, market prices and the broader economic situation.
The average inflation rate from July 2006 to April this year was 7.02 per cent, while the average price hike of essential goods was 8.28 per cent in April, according to Bangladesh Bank figures.