Pay Commission starts work

Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman inaugurated the commission's activities at a simple ceremony at its makeshift office at Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy at Shahbagh.

Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, Pay Commission Chairman Mujibul Huq and members of the commission were present at the function. Since its formation on July 10, the commission carried out preparatory works for two months to begin its operation.

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"There has to be a harmonisation between our limited resources and expectation of the officials and employees," the minister advised the commission, giving the indication of devising an affordable pay structure.

He, however, suggested the commission to consider the affects of inflation and other related things to prepare the pay structure, which should not be set up chasing the pay structure of private sector like commercial banks.

The minister said the government officials and employees enjoy several other benefits for which the private sector employees are not entitled.

He said the civil servants are landlords in the capital and they also enjoy other extra benefits.

The minister also advised the Pay Commission not to make any distortion in the pay structure so that it does not create anomalies among the same categories of services.

"We'll try our best not to be partisan," Pay Commission Chairman Mujibul Huq told the meeting.

"We'll consider what we can give the officials and employees, keeping in mind the necessary resources required for poverty reduction," he said.

In an earlier meeting on August 31, it was decided that the government would implement the Pay Commission's recommendations with retrospective effect from January 1, 2005 in case of delayed submission of its report.