Staff Reporter:
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday said that the current administration is focused on en-suring a sound framework for the future on the fresh pay scale for the public servants.
“We may not be able to implement the new pay scale immediately, but we are working to ensure that a clear and consistent system is ready for the next phase,” he said.
The Finance Adviser was responding to queries of reporters after chairing two separate meetings on the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday.
He said that the process involves several independent commissions and multiple layers of administrative approval for the new pay scale.
Dr Salehuddin said the Pay Commission is carrying out its work independently, with no direct involve-ment from the government.
“The work of the Pay Commission is highly complex and independent. There is no government role in determining its recommendations. There is a separate Civil Pay Commission and another for the Armed Forces. Once the three reports are submitted, they will have to be reconciled to ensure consistency before any implementation can begin,” he explained.
He said the reconciliation process will take time as it must go through several stages of scrutiny and re-view.
“After receiving the reports, the government will need to reconcile and review them. Then the recom-mendations will be examined by the secretary-level committee, followed by the Ministry of Public Ad-ministration (MoPA) and the Finance Division. Only after these steps, implementation can be consid-ered,” he added.
The Finance Adviser acknowledged that completing all these procedures within the current government’s tenure may not be possible.
“That’s why I said there is some uncertainty… However, we are trying to leave behind a complete framework and setup so that the next government can move forward quickly once it takes over,” he said.
When asked about growing concern among government employees over the delay, Dr Salehuddin urged them to be patient.
“It has been about eight years …We have now taken the initiative ourselves after such a long gap. It’s a significant step forward, and the employees should appreciate that. We are not sitting idle; we are work-ing to establish the foundation for a new structure,” he said.
He said the government is aware of the expectations among public servants but emphasised that the pro-cess must follow due administrative and fiscal discipline.
“We have to consider the overall budgetary context. Pay scale adjustments are not the only priority. We also have to make provisions for health, education, and other development sectors,” he pointed out.
Dr Salehuddin further expressed optimism that the next political government would take the pay com-mission’s reports seriously.
“The commissions are working independently and thoughtfully. Once their reports are ready, I believe the next government will act on them with due importance.” he said.
