The new pay scale for government officials and employees has been revised with recommendation for enhancing maximum salary to Tk 36,500 from Tk 23,000 and minimum Tk 3,800 from Tk 2,300. The pay scale has been revised in the light of recommendations brought by both the Seventh Pay Commission and Secretary level committee, according to sources in the Ministry of Finance. The new pay scale proposal is likely to be placed before the Cabinet meeting early next month after the approval of the Prime Minister.

"If the new pay scale proposal gets the consent of the Prime Minister, it may be placed before the Cabinet meeting on November 2 or November 9. Otherwise, it may be delayed for few more days," said an official of the Finance Ministry. He said the new pay scale is likely to be announced after the holy Eid-ul-Azha and implemented from July this year.

The official said the revised pay scale has been finalised at a recent meeting with Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith at his office. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz, Finance Secretary Dr Mohammad Tareque, and Law Secretary Kazi Habibul Awal were present at the meeting. Earlier, the Minister for Finance also hinted that the new pay scale will be announced by next month.

The Seventh Pay Commission headed by Mir Mostafizur Rahman on April 23 submitted its report to the Minister for Finance with a recommendation for enhancing the maximum salary of the government employees to Tk 45,000 and minimum Tk 4,300. The report also kept a provision for the dearness allowance (DA) every year. But the Secretary level committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary in its report recommended Tk 4,100 as minimum salary and Tk 40,000 as maximum salary. The Sixth Pay Scale was effective in January 2005. The five other pay scales were implemented in 1997, 1991, 1985, 1977 and 1973. The First Pay Scale provided Tk 2,000 as maximum and only Tk 130 as minimum salary for the government employees.

-New Nation