Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar said Bangladesh’s new pay scale is in its final stage and could be announced at any time. He made the remarks while speaking with journalists at the Secretariat on Sunday. Sattar said 1.8 million government officials and employees have faced inflationary pressure because no pay scale has been introduced over the past 11 years.

He said that although the issue may be difficult for the public, the living standards of government employees need to be adjusted. The chief secretary identified the economy as the government’s main challenge. He said the government is planning to create employment and increase productivity to address the crisis.

Sattar also attributed the current gas, electricity and fuel crisis to the Middle East war and the previous government’s lack of alternative arrangements. He said the government is trying to build a diversified supply chain involving Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia and China. He did not provide a specific date for the pay-scale announcement or details of its structure.