Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Wednesday said the process of pay scale implementation involves several independent commissions and multiple layers of administrative approval.

“The work of the Pay Commission is highly complex and independent. There is no government role in determining its recommendations. There is a 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 begins,” he said.

He said these responding to a question from reporters over the pay scale  after attending the meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase and the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The adviser admitted that completing all these procedures within the current government’s tenure may not be possible.

National Pay Commission starts work on overhauling pay scale

Earlier, the adviser said that the implementation of a new pay scale for government employees remains uncertain before the next elected government takes office.

Dr Salehuddin said the Pay Commission is carrying out its work independently with no direct involvement from the government.

He said the reconciliation process will take time as it must go through several stages of scrutiny and review.

“After receiving the reports, the government will need to reconcile and review them. Then the recommendations will be examined by the secretary-level committee, followed by the Ministry of Public Administration (MoPA) and the Finance Division. Only after these steps can be taken for implementation,” he added.

 “That’s why I said there is some uncertainty about whether we can implement it now. 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 frustration among government employees over the delay, Dr Salehuddin urged them to be patient.

“It has been about eight years since the last pay commission. 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 working to establish the foundation for a new structure,” he said.