Govt looks to implement new pay scale in phases

The interim government is examining the scope for partially implementing the new pay scale for public sector employees.

Contacted by The Daily Star, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said they will proceed with a preliminary implementation based on the Pay Commission's recommendations.

"We're expecting to receive the commission's report by December. Once we get it, we'll try to review it and make decisions by January," he said.

In July this year, the finance ministry formed the Pay Commission for public officials and employees, led by former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan. It was tasked with submitting its report within six months of its first meeting.

In the eighth pay scale introduced in 2015, the basic salary component was implemented in the 2015-16 fiscal year, followed by allowances in the following year.

The Pay Commission for the ninth pay scale has completed its fieldwork, including a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to gather opinions on how much salaries and allowances should be raised.

It has been learned that the commission is considering a new salary structure which, after adjusting for inflation, does not fall below the 2015 level. If it does, salary hikes at the lower grades could be nearly double, while increases at the upper grades may be smaller.

Although inflation rose gradually after 2015, it began surging in 2022 and has remained above nine percent since March 2023. The commission is taking this into account while finalising its recommendations.

Of the country's 6.9 crore employed population, 4.7 percent -- or about 32.47 lakh people -- worked in government service last year, according to the Labour Force Survey 2024.