'Permanent Pay Commission on way'

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has said that the government would announce the formation of the pay commission in the forthcoming budget to revise the salaries and allowances of public servants.

Muhith said this to a delegation of the Bangladesh Sachibalaya Karmakarta and Karmachari Oikya Parishad at a meeting in his office on Monday.

“The terms and conditions are yet to be finalised. I’ll make the announcement of a ‘Permanent Pay and Service Commission’ in my budget speech,” he told reporters after the meeting.

The formation of the panel would help raise the salaries and allowances of government officials and employees, the minister said.

Muhith added the commission would recommend salary and allowance hikes in keeping with the rising inflation rate, which will be implemented by the government. “Then it will not be necessary to form a new commission during the next several years.”

Oikya Parishad President Abdul Kuddus Khan and Secretary General Ruhul Amin led the delegation at the meeting.

Muhith said that the government was yet to decide on whether to announce dearness allowance for public servants in the forthcoming budget. “There will certainly be good news before the government leaves office.”

The Finance Minister had said two weeks ago that the government would form a pay commission before completing its term to reduce the salary gap between government and private sector employees.

Currently there are some 1.3 million officials and employees in the public sector. Of them, 1.1 million hold regular jobs.

After the present government assumed office in January 2009, it increased the salaries of government employees from July 1, 2009. The inflation rate rose by over eight percent in the last three years.