New pay scale likely this fiscal year, awaits Cabinet approval

The government is preparing to introduce a new pay scale for public servants in the current fiscal year, ending an 11-year wait for a revised salary structure.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister A B M Abdus Sattar disclosed the development while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday (August 16).

He said a final framework for the ninth pay scale has already been prepared and will soon be placed before the Cabinet for approval. Once approved, the government could formally announce the new salary structure at any time.

Under existing practice, a new pay scale is generally introduced every five years. However, no new salary structure has been implemented for government employees over the past 11 years, creating a sense of deprivation among public servants, the chief secretary said.

The move is aimed at addressing the longstanding demands of nearly 1.8 million government employees, he added.

Sattar acknowledged that implementing the new pay scale could put additional pressure on the economy. He said the government would need to boost production and create new jobs to absorb the additional economic burden.