Three Steps Remain Before Final Pay Scale Gazette Publication

Although the implementation of the 9th National Pay Scale for government employees officially commenced on July 1, the official gazette has not yet been published. According to relevant sources, a draft has already been prepared after reviewing the recommendations of three separate pay commissions. To finalize this draft, a meeting of the Secretaries Committee—formed to re-evaluate the pay commission recommendations—is scheduled to take place this week. However, three key steps remain before the final gazette can be issued.

Sources within the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance confirmed that a meeting has been called this week to finalize the recommendations for the 9th Pay Scale. In this meeting, the Secretaries Committee will make decisions on three specific areas concerning the three commissions. Following this, the proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance. The ministry will then forward the committee's recommendations to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The official gazette will be issued only after receiving the Prime Minister’s formal approval.

Additionally, after the Prime Minister's approval, a formal vetting process may be conducted to thoroughly examine and evaluate the legal and technical aspects of the document.

Speaking to The Daily Campus on condition of anonymity, a top official from the Ministry of Finance said:

"The Secretaries Committee has fundamentally finalized a draft after reviewing the recommendations of the three commissions. Another meeting will be held next week before submitting these recommendations to the Ministry of Finance. In that meeting, three separate decisions regarding the civil administration, judiciary, and armed forces will be finalized."

However, another official from the Ministry of Finance noted that the pay scale gazette is highly likely to be published by mid-July, adding, "If it is not issued by mid-July, the gazette will definitely be released the following week."

Abdul Malek, Convenor of the Bangladesh Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association, told The Daily Campus:

"The secretary-level recommendation committee might hold its final meeting this week. Even if there is a delay of two to three months in publishing the gazette, we have no objection as long as the pay scale is effective from July 1, meaning we will receive the arrears. However, our demand is to publish the gazette as quickly as possible, which will bring relief to the public and general employees."

Restructuring and Political Realities

It is worth noting that the pay commission review committee formed during the previous interim government—which had seen shuffles involving the then Cabinet Secretary and Finance Secretary—has been reconstituted after the current government took office. A new 10-member 'Administrative Review Committee' (Secretaries Committee), led by the government's new Cabinet Secretary, is currently managing the process. The draft proposals from the previous committee are being re-reviewed in light of current political and economic realities.

Insiders revealed that during the interim government, the Secretaries Committee had calculated salary hikes based on inflation through a purely technical or bureaucratic approach. However, the current government is attempting to reflect its party manifesto and political commitments into the new structure.

Implementation in Two Phases

Furthermore, although the initial plan was to implement the pay scale in three phases, the Secretaries Committee reviewing the pay scale recommendations has moved away from that stance. Officials stated that the current plan is to implement it in two phases. The first phase is estimated to cost BDT 44,000 crore.

It is learned that multiple proposals have been discussed at the policymaking level regarding the implementation of the new pay scale. The Finance Division considers it logical to enforce the basic salary hike all at once to avoid complexities in the government accounting system (iBAS++). Consequently, the committee wants to complete the overall process in two stages. In the first phase—the current fiscal year—100% of the basic salary increase may be implemented. In the second phase—the upcoming 2027-2028 fiscal year—allowances and other benefits will be increased.