No new pay scale for govt employees on cards: finance minister

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today told parliament that there is no plan to provide a new pay scale or dearness allowance for government employees at this moment.

The minister said this in reply to a query from Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan.

In his reply, the finance minister said the government issued the National Pay Scale Order in 2015, which is still in force.

In the past, government employees were given the benefit of a salary increment every year as per the pay scale order, said the minister.

However, due to the provision of an increase in the percentage of the basic pay in the National Pay Scale 2015, the annual salary of the government employee increases at a fixed rate up to a certain limit, which has been playing a positive role in improving the standard of living of government employees at all levels, he added.

In the post-Covid global recession situation, inflation has appeared in the world with the increase in commodity prices, which has also affected Bangladesh, said Kamal.

The government has taken various steps to control inflation and normalise the market situation, he said.

In the current situation, the government has launched a programme to provide daily essentials through family cards at a lower price to maintain the standard of living of people with limited income, he added.

The government is trying to take practical steps to increase the financial capacity of the people, said the minister.

In this situation, there is no plan to announce a new pay scale or dearness allowance for the government employees at this moment, the minister said.