Bangladesh’s proposed new pay structure for government employees has reached its final stage and may be presented to the cabinet for approval at Monday’s meeting, according to Finance Ministry sources. If approved, the Finance Ministry could issue the final gazette notification by Thursday. Technical and administrative preparations for publishing the notification have already been completed, sources said.

An unnamed Finance Ministry official said on Sunday that the proposal was being prepared for inclusion on the cabinet agenda, but Finance Division officials did not disclose the final rates of salary and allowance increases. On August 16, the prime minister’s principal secretary, A B M Abdus Sattar, said the new pay scale was at its final stage and could be announced at any time.

A 10-member committee led by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani was formed on April 21 to recommend implementation of the structure and has submitted its recommendations. Informed people said it recommended raising basic pay for employees in grades 1 to 20 by up to 100 percent in two phases, with basic salaries taking effect first and housing and other allowances potentially following in the second year.