New Pay Structure Before Six-Month Deadline: Commission Informs CA

National Pay Commission Chairman and Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan today assured Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus that the new national pay structure for public sector officials and employees would be finalized ahead of the stipulated six-month deadline.

“We have already begun work at full pace. Although six months have been allotted for finalizing the salary structure, we hope to submit our report earlier,” he said.

Zakir, also a former finance secretary, made the remarks during a meeting with the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna this afternoon. A delegation of the commission, led by him, joined the meeting.

He noted that salaries had not kept pace with inflation and GDP growth over the past decade. Alongside preparing a timely salary structure, the commission is working on separate pay scales for specialized job categories, structures factoring in income tax payments, adjustments for allowances such as house rent, medical and transportation, methods for aligning salaries with inflation, and timely pensions and retirement benefits.

He added that the commission would also recommend salary structures based on performance evaluation, rationalization of financial benefits like telephone, car, and mobile phone use, and removal of inconsistencies in pay grades and increments.

The Chief Adviser directed the commission to devise a fair and realistic salary structure for both government and autonomous officials and employees.

Professor Yunus also stressed the urgent need for a health insurance scheme.

“This is vital. Even if salaries rise, a single illness can wipe out a family’s savings. With insurance, families will have security. Neighboring countries already have such models in place,” he said.

The government formed the National Pay Commission after a decade to review and recommend a new pay scale for government and autonomous officials.

The commission’s scope covers salaries, allowances, and benefits of officials and employees in government, semi-government, autonomous bodies, state-owned banks and financial institutions, approved universities, and state-owned industrial enterprises under the national pay scale.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser’s Principal Secretary M Siraz Uddin Miah, and Public Administration Secretary Md Mokhles Ur Rahman were also present at the meeting.