Interim govt won't implement new pay scale: Fouzul

The interim government would not implement the new pay scale for government employees due to time constraints, an adviser said Tuesday.

"We did not make any decision to implement it [new pay scale]," Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said after a meeting of the Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase at Bangladesh Secretariat.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting, but he did not talk to the press.

Mr Khan said the government only received the report from the pay commission.

"Since the government has only 15 days left, we will not take any step in this matter."

He said a committee, headed by the cabinet secretary, had been formed to scrutinise the report. "We do not have adequate time to enforce it."

Asked whether the next government would be able to change the report or the decision of the current government, the adviser said, "The next government is free to do anything."

Replying to a query on whether the pay commission had taken into consideration the high inflationary pressure on people while preparing the report, the adviser answered affirmatively.

Asked about the possible expenditure rise of Tk 1.06 trillion if the pay scale was implemented, he said the amount would be needed if the recommendation was implemented as it was and at once.

"As I was also a public servant, we know such pay hikes are not implemented at a time, but rather in phases. The secretaries' committee will look into it."

Asked why the interim government would not implement it, why the pay commission was formed, and whether the commission report would create pressure on the next government, the adviser answered in the negative.

"We formed the pay commission to keep the work advanced for the next government," he said.

Mr Khan said there was a grievance among public servants about the new pay scale and they even agitated for this.

"We formed the pay commission so that the new government does not face any stalemate after assuming office."

Asked whether the government had taken note of the impact of the "new pay commission" on commodity prices, the adviser said, "There is no reason for creating impacts on commodity prices since we are not implementing it." "We only received the report, not the recommendations," he said.

Asked how much the government allocated for publicity in favour of "yes vote" in the referendum in the next polls, the adviser said he had no idea about it.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, the committee approved proposals for the procurement of 10 million litres of soybean oil and 10,000 tonnes of lentil for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, which would sell those at subsidised prices during the holy month of Ramadan.

The total cost to buy soybean oil will stand at Tk 1.85 billion, while lentil will cost Tk 709.6 million.

Also, the committee approved the procurement of five cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd under the direct purchase method.

Moreover, it okayed buying 40,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser from the United Arab Emirates and 35,000 tonnes of Muriate of Potash from Russia.

syful-islam@outlook.com