United News of Bangladesh

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said the government would not immediately implement the Pay Commission’s recommendations once its report is submitted, as the proposals would first undergo scrutiny by relevant committees. “The report will be examined by various committees after submission, and only then will a decision be taken on implementation,” he told journalists at the Secretariat. He said the verification and review process usually takes three to four months, indicating that the new pay structure would take some time to come into effect. Dr Salehuddin said the Pay Commission, formed to frame a new salary structure for government employees, is scheduled to submit its report to the Chief Adviser on Wednesday (January 21). Read More: Finance adviser urges patience on new pay scale, backs referendum He expressed optimism that government employees would be satisfied with the recommendations, saying the commission members had prepared their proposals by prioritising the interests of public servants. Responding to concerns over whether a salary hike could have a negative impact on the market, the finance adviser said there would be no adverse effect.  “The government is giving importance to strengthening the supply side,” he said, adding that this approach would help keep the market stable. Asked whether the pay rise could have any electoral implications, given the upcoming national election, Dr Salehuddin dismissed the notion, saying the issue had no connection with elections. Read More: MPO Teachers’ Alliance warns of tough action if pay scale gazette not issued by Feb 4 He described the work of the current Pay Commission as an exceptional example, noting that its members consulted a wide range of stakeholders during the process. “They held multiple discussions with people from different walks of life — including government employees, teachers, students, various associations, as well as retired pensioners and senior citizens,” he said. While acknowledging that it would not be possible to meet all demands in full, the finance adviser said the needs and expectations of different groups would be reflected in the recommendations as far as practicable. He, however, reiterated that the commission’s proposals would not necessarily be implemented in their entirety, as they would be subject to review and final approval. Meanwhile, on the reform of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Dr Salehuddin said a final decision had been taken at the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reform (NICAR). Under the new structure, the NBR will be divided into two separate wings — one for tax policy and another for tax administration. He said the existing Internal Resources Division (IRD) framework would be abolished, and NICAR has given its final approval to the new arrangement. On January 27, the finance adviser also said that Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed would submit an important report on tax policy to the Chief Adviser. “Many aspects of future revenue management will depend on this report.” Reflecting on their tenure, Dr Salehuddin said the current administration is initiating a number of significant reform processes that would serve as a positive legacy for the next government. “The fact that the Chief Adviser himself will receive the Pay Commission report shows how much importance the government is attaching to this issue,” he said.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday stressed the importance of addressing the rural-urban divide to reduce the growing tendency of people to migrate towards cities. “Take initiatives to ensure the balanced development of the country by increasing the civic facilities in the cities as well as in the villages,” he said. The Finance Adviser said this at the opening ceremony and startup workshop of Rural and Peri-Urban Housing Finance Project, Phase 2 of Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) that was held at the Ruposhi Bangla Grand Ballroom of Hotel Intercontinental in the capital. Fall of authoritarian regime in Bangladesh a major diplomatic setback for India: TIB He thanked BHBFC and ISDB authorities for taking Shariah-compliant investment initiatives in building houses in rural and peri-urban areas, and hoped that other institutions would also take initiatives like BHBFC. This is an Islamic Shariah-based housing investment project of BHBFC with funding from the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB). The first phase of the project was completed in the month of October 2022 which was taken in the financial year 2018-19. The second phase of the project started with this opening ceremony. Under the agreement signed between the ISDB and the government of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah on April 29 this year under the supervision of the Financial Institutions Department of the Ministry of Finance, BHBFC received a financial assistance of 270.57 million euros equivalent to Tk 3, 171 crore for this project. Of this, an amount equivalent to 67 million euros has already been waived in favour of BHBFC. The 2nd phase of the 5-year BHBFC project will be completed in the financial year 2028-29. Former Cabinet Secretary and Chairman of BHBFC Board of Directors ASM Abdul Halim presided over the event, Regional Manager of ISDB Muhammad Nasis Bin Sulaiman, Finance Department Secretary Dr Khairuzzaman Majumdar, Secretary of Financial Institutions Department Najma Mobarek and Secretary of Economic Relations Department Shahriar Quader Siddiqui was present as special guests. BIDA collaborates with experts to develop FDI Heatmap for Bangladesh Managing Director of BHBFC Abdul Mannan welcomed everyone at the beginning of the program and expressed his gratitude to the Finance Division, Financial Institutions Department, Economic Relations Department, Bangladesh Bank and ISDB authorities for their overall cooperation. BHBFC Shariah Supervisory Committee President Prof Dr Md Abdus Samad, Operations Team Leader, Economic Infrastructure, ISDB, Abu Sandy Bokairi and senior executives of the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank and BHBFC were the guests of honour on the occasion. All field-level managers of BHBFC participated in the inaugural function and workshop.