The cabinet has approved the new pay-scale for government officers and employees on Monday at the cabinet meeting presided over by prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
There are 20 grades, but no selection grade, in the new pay-scale. The highest salary has been fixed at Tk 78 thousand while the lowest is Tk 8,250. A New Year allowance has been introduced in the pay-scale.
The teachers of non-government educational institutes will also receive salary-allowances under the new pay-scale from 1 July last. A gazette notification would be issued in this connection shortly.
News Agency UNB adds: the new pay scale would make the national exchequer bear an additional expenditure of Tk 15,904.24 crore in the current fiscal
year.
The Cabinet approved the new pay scale in line with the recommendations of the Pay and Services Commission 2013, Armed Forces Pay Committee 2013 and the Secretary-level Review Committee on the pay commission.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the basic pay for the public servants would be
made effective from 1 July 2015 while the basic salaries along with other allowances from 1 July 2016.
According to the new pay scale, the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary and the army chief would get fixed Tk 86,000 as the monthly salary.
But, as per the directives of the Prime Minister, Musharraf said the ranks of the navy chief and air chief would be upgraded equivalent to the army chief and their monthly salaries would also be fixed at Tk 86,000.
He said the pay structure of the armed forces has been made in line with the civil administration.
Senior secretaries of the government alongside the armed forces officials with the rank equivalent to Lt General would get monthly fixed salary of Tk 82,000 while that of the secretaries and armed forces official equivalent with the rank of major general with Tk 78,000 per month.
According to the new pay structure, the monthly basic salary of the Grade 2 public servants would be Tk 66,000, for Grade 3 officials Tk 56,500, for Grade 4 officials Tk 50,000, for Grade 5 officials Tk 43,000, for Grade 6 officials Tk 35,500, for Grade 7 officials Tk 29,000, for Grade 8 officials Tk 23,000, for Grade 9 officials Tk 22,000, for Grade 10 officials Tk 16,000.
The Grade 11 government officials would get monthly basic salary of Tk 12,500, Grade 12 officials Tk 11,300, Grade 13 public servants Tk 11,000, Grade 14 with Tk 10,200, Grade 15 with Tk 9,700, Grade 16 with Tk 9,300, Grade 17 with Tk 9,000, Grade 18 with Tk 8,800, Grade 19 with Tk 8,500 and Grade 20 with Tk 8,250.
Once the new pay scale is implemented following the gazette notification by the Finance Division, the existing 20 per cent dearness allowance would not be in place.
For the first time, the Cabinet Secretary said, the increment would be determined as per the percentage of the basic salaries instead of the efficiency bar and the specific increment, while the increment would be applicable for all government officials and employees from 1 July.
Musharraf said the annual increment of the public servants from Grade 20-6 would be 5 percent of the basic salary, for Grade 5 it would be 4.5 percent, for Grade 4-3 it would be 4 percent, for Grade 2 it would be 3.75 percent while there would be no increment for the Grade 1 officials as it would be the fixed one.
Besides, the annual increment would be determined on cumulative rate for which the public servants would be benefitted more as there would be enhanced salaries increase.
The new pay scale would discontinue with the time scale and selection grade system for the government officials and employees since the cabinet has observed that both the time scale and selection grade are discriminatory.
In this connection, the Cabinet observed that fixing the annual increment with cumulative rate is more universal, rationale and acceptable.
Besides, a new allowance, ‘Bengali New Year’, would be introduced which would be 20 percent of the basic salary as it is expected to have a cultural impact alongside the financial one. “This will have a positive impact on the rural economy and help facilitate flourishing Bengali culture,” Musharraf added.
He said the special allowances would not be fixed as per the percentage of the salaries rather it would be fixed amount. However, the house allowance would be determined as per the percentage of the basic pay.
To have a positive psychological impact on the government officials and employees, the classification of government officials and employees like 1st class, 2nd class, 3rd class and 4th class would be abolished while the government officials and employees would be identified according to their grades.
The public servants upon their retirement will be more benefited as per the new pay scale as they would get pension at a rate of 90 percent on their salaries when they would retire instead of the existing 80 percent.
The new pay scale would be applicable for the MPO-enlisted teachers with effect from 1 July 2015 while the existing rules and criteria would be reviewed in this regard.
About the pay structure of public university teachers, Musharraf said the cabinet discussed the issue with due importance considering the nature of duty and social status of the teachers.
He said the cabinet committee concerned on removing the discriminations related to salaries would review the issues and submit proposals for the public university teachers and submit their recommendations.
Answering to a question, Bhuiyan said the government would have to bear an additional expenditure of Tk 15,904.24 crore in the current fiscal year to meet up the increased basic pay of the public servants.
However, the amount of the additional expenditure would be raised to Tk 23,828.57 crore in the FY17 for meeting up the requirements of enhanced salaries and allowances of the government officials and employees.
Replying to another question, he said the Cabinet noted that there is no such need for permanent pay commission as per the new system of annual increment.
The eighth Pay and Services Commission on May 13 submitted its recommendation for public servants with a minimum basic salary of Tk 8,250 and a maximum of Tk 75,000.
In December 31 last year, the eighth Pay Commission, led by Mohammed Farashuddin, filed its report suggesting doubling the basic pay for civil servants with a minimum pay of 8,200 and maximum 80,000.
The day’s cabinet meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons Bill, 2015’.
Ministers and state ministers attended the meeting while concerned secretaries were also present.