Govt employees' minimum salary at Tk20,000, maximum at Tk160,000 in commission report
Under the recommendations, salaries would be revised across 20 pay scales
The 9th National Pay Commission has proposed a 100% to 147% salary increase for government officers and employees under a new pay structure, setting the minimum salary at Tk20,000 and the maximum at Tk160,000.
Under the recommendations, salaries would be revised across 20 pay scales. The lowest grade (20th) is proposed to rise from Tk8,250 to Tk20,000, while the highest grade (1st) would increase from Tk78,000 to Tk160,000.
According to a press release from the Chief Adviser's Office, the 23-member commission, led by its chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan, submitted its report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna today.
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The report includes recommendations on new pay scales and allowances for government officers and employees.
Zakir Ahmed Khan said implementing the proposed new pay structure would require an additional Tk106,000 crore. At present, the government spends about Tk131,000 crore on salaries for around 14 lakh government employees and pensions for nearly 9 lakh retirees.
Among the welfare-related proposals, the commission recommended a monthly allowance of Tk2,000 for government employees who have children with disabilities, with the benefit limited to a maximum of two children in all cases.
The report also suggests continuing the existing provisions for the tiffin allowance, while increasing the rate. For employees in grades 11 to 20, the current monthly tiffin allowance of Tk200 has been proposed to be raised to Tk1,000.
After receiving the report, CA Yunus expressed satisfaction, saying, "This is a very gigantic task. People have been waiting for this for a long time."
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Majumder, and all full-time and part-time members of the commission were present at the handover ceremony.
The report also includes proposals for introducing health insurance for government employees, reforming the pension system, reconstituting the Government Employees Welfare Board, forming a Service Commission, rationally restructuring pay grades and scales, setting up committees to review allowances in government offices, and strengthening human resource development in the health and education sectors.
At that time, the commission chief said over the past decade there have been significant changes in global and national economic indicators, particularly with essential commodity prices rising several-fold. In the absence of a timely and appropriate pay structure, he said, it has become increasingly difficult for government employees to meet living costs.
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said implementing the proposals would be the next task, adding that a committee would be formed to work on the process.
However, speaking to journalists at the Secretariat on Tuesday, he said that the government would not implement the recommendations immediately. The proposals would first be reviewed by relevant committees and undergo scrutiny before any final decision.
He noted that the verification and review process usually takes three to four months, indicating that a new pay structure would not come into effect straight away.
