9th Pay Scale may reach Cabinet table, even if not on agenda

The long-awaited ninth national 9th Pay Scale may be placed before the Cabinet for approval, even if it is not included in the meeting’s formal agenda, officials said.

The government is now racing to complete the remaining formalities, with a target to publish the gazette in the second week of September. If approved, government employees could start receiving revised salaries from October.

Officials said the proposal could be brought to the Cabinet as a table item for discussion and decision, as was done with the 2015 national pay scale.

Once the Cabinet gives its nod, the proposal will undergo the required legal and administrative procedures before the final gazette is issued. The pay scale has been under review over several issues, including the proposed salary hike, allowances, pensions, coordination with the judicial service pay structure and the government’s fiscal capacity.

Earlier, a 10-member committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani was formed on April 21 to review the recommendations of the ninth National Pay Commission and suggest measures for implementing the new pay structure.