After raising salaries of public servants, the government has now nearly doubled the pay for president, prime minister, Cabinet members, Supreme Court judges and MPs.

The approval, subject to the vetting of the Law Ministry, came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the six bills are: The President's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Prime Minister's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers' (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Speaker and Deputy Speaker's (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Members' of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Supreme Court Judges' (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

According to the draft amendments, the president will receive a monthly salary of Tk 120,000 against the current Tk 61,200.

The prime minister's monthly salary has been raised to Tk 115,000 from Tk 58,600.

Parliament Speaker's salary will be raised from Tk 57,200 to Tk 112,000.

The salary of the chief justice will be hiked from Tk 56,000 to Tk 110,000.

The salaries of deputy ministers have been proposed to be Tk 86,500 from the existing Tk 45,150 while that of parliament members Tk 55,000 from the existing Tk 27,500.

Besides, the expenditure allowances, house allowances in case of private houses, insurance coverage during air travel, daily allowances and discretionary fund and other allowances of the concerned have also been raised.

“The revision is in keeping with the hike in salaries of government employees. The allowances are also increasing,” Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the meeting.

The Cabinet Secretary said all the six bills will go to the President for approval since these are Finance Bills and then those will go to Parliament. He said the salaries would be made effective from July 1, 2015 while the allowances from July 1, 2016.

TF/QH