Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has welcomed cabinet approval of a new national pay structure for government employees, while calling for annual public disclosure of income, expenditure and assets as a condition for receiving higher pay. In a media statement issued Tuesday, the organisation said the disclosure requirement should also cover dependent family members.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said implementing the pay scale in three phases was reasonable despite severe financial constraints. He said salaries and allowances need to match living costs if the government expects professional excellence and corruption-free services. However, he argued that only employees who annually update and publish their financial and asset declarations should receive the revised benefits.

TIB said honest public employees deserve the new scale, but applying it broadly without effective accountability could deepen corruption. It cited concerns that irregularities, corruption and bribery increased after the eighth pay scale was implemented in 2015. The organisation also warned that salary increases could contribute to higher prices and inflation, worsening hardship for low-income workers and the public.