No decision yet on implementing proposed pay scale: Energy Adviser

The interim government has not taken any decision to implement the proposed new pay scale for government employees although it approved the report of the latest Pay Commission, said Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Tuesday

“The government has only received the Pay Commission’s report and has not taken any decision to enforce it,” he told reporters responding to a question whether announcing a pay scale at a time of mounting debt was necessary and whether it would create financial pressure on the next administration. UNB News

The matter has been left for further scrutiny and for the next elected government to decide, said the adviser.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding regarding the pay scale issue. For the last 10 to 13 years, government employees have been demanding the formation of a Pay Commission. Normally, a Pay Commission is constituted every five years. That process has now been completed and the commission has only submitted its report.”

“The interim government has only around 15 days left in office, and we do not intend to take such a major policy decision at this stage,” he added.

To examine the recommendations, the government has formed a review committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary following the established practice.

The committee will assess the feasibility of the proposals, including their fiscal impact.

Fouzul Kabir Khan said the report itself leaves room for flexibility. “It has been clearly stated that the next government will be free to change, modify or reject any decision. The incoming administration will have full authority to act as it sees fit,” he said.

Responding to questions on whether inflation was considered while preparing the pay structure, the adviser said the commission, led by Zakir Ahmed Khan, was an independent body that took all relevant macroeconomic indicators into account.

“All issues, including inflation, were duly considered by the commission,” he said.

However, he acknowledged concerns about the potential financial burden if the recommendations were implemented in full and at once.

“That is a valid question. But from experience, Pay Commission recommendations are never implemented all at once. They are usually enforced in phases,” he said.

He added that the review committee would examine issues such as budgetary capacity, financing sources and phased implementation, if the recommendations are eventually approved.

When asked whether the move could create pressure on the next government, Fouzul Kabirrejected the notion, saying the interim administration is working in the interest of future governments as well.

“We are a limited-time government, but that does not mean we should stop planning for the future,” he said, citing initiatives such as the Power and Energy Sector Master Plan and a multimodal transport sector plan, which may not be implemented by the current administration but would benefit the next one.

“The Pay Commission was formed with the same objective—to ensure that the next government does not face unrest or administrative paralysis,” he said.

He urged the media to report the pay scale issue accurately as  no gazette notification has been issued yet and  implementation decision has not been taken yet.