Finance Minister AMA Muhith is likely to announce the non-monetary facilities of the government staff in the next fiscal year budget speech as per the recommendations of the Permanent Pay Commission.
Officials of the Finance Division said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had directed the finance minister to give some hints about the new pay scale in his budget speech at the budget preparation meeting a week ago.
Quoting the prime minister, the Finance Division officials said the government will announce the new pay scale despite the pressure from the country’s macroeconomics and the negative impacts on the consumer price level.
Chairman of the Pay Commission Dr Mahmmand Farashuddin is now preparing a draft of recommendations for the new pay scale that will be incorporated in the next fiscal year budget speech scheduled to be announced on June 5.
The chairman said the pay scale hike of 13 lakh government staff definitely had an impact on inflation rate. Given that circumstance, they will consider raising the facilities of non-financial items. “We will consider recommending the introduction of health insurance and the government will buy books for its staff,” he said.
The government pays Tk700 for health allowance for each of its staff in the existing pay structure, and the Permanent Pay Commission has asked for opinions about raising the health allowance to about Tk1,500-2,000. The commission also wants to raise the two children education allowance to Tk1200 from the existing Tk300.
The government formed the Pay Commission on November 24 last year and issued an order in this regard.