Faruque Ahmed
The government initiative to double the pay and allowances of the President, Prime Minister, Speakers, other Ministers and lawmakers is in progress regardless whether such pay hike is justified and affordable by the nation.
The legal and ethical question is also there whether the government leaders can increase the pay and allowances of their own by themselves. It is unacceptable in any working democracy while such ethical question is not applicable for pay rise of the government employees.
Because a Pay Commission (PC) appointed by the government awards such pay hikes and it is generally believed that the PC examines the pay with cost of living and its positive impacts on the government employees’ efficiency in discharging their responsibilities and duties.
Status depends on pay?
However, question also remains whether the doubling of the pay and allowances of government employees by the stroke of a pen is justified without taking into consideration the overall financial conditions of the government and its ability to afford it. There is the question that the government employees need to be looked after well and unless they are able to live in peace they cannot deliver what is expected of them. But doubling of pay is not justified any way.
It appears that the move by the government to double pays and perks of senior public leaders surfaced following the doubling of the pay of the government employees. The government leaders feel that they deserve the pay hike, if not to improve their quality of life since they are resourceful persons, they deserve it to maintain their social status above the government employees.
Under the new dispensation the president and the prime minister will receive Tk 1.20 lakh and Tk 1.15 lakh respectively per month followed by ministers, state minister and deputy ministers who will receive Tk 1.05 lakh, Tk 92 thousands and eighty six thousands respectively. President and prime minister’s air travel insurance cover will also rise to Tk 27 lakhs and Tk 25 lakhs respectively and others too will get the rise as per their status in the government.
What appears rather unusual is that the members of the parliamentary standing committee which deals with such pay rise have returned all four bills to the concerned ministry asking it to equally double their pay and perks in the new bill for them, because they said lower pay undermines their social status. Socialist lawmaker Moinuddin Khan Badal of JSD, who won the election on the ruling party ticket, highlighted the thinking of the MPs saying, they are peoples’ elected representatives who behold the sovereignty of the nation. Now if their pay and allowances remain far below that of senior bureaucrats it would be disrespect to the people.
Unknown cascading effect
So to uphold the respect for the people, lawmakers must get more than the senior bureaucrats who get Tk 86,000 per month at the highest. But the question is that what benefits the lawmakers have provided to the people so far except tall talks of governmental successes and development. No doubt the system has enabled the lawmakers and others to enjoy manifold unofficial facilities which cannot be explained in terms of money but people’s deprivation remains unattended.
But the cascading affect of doubling the salary is going to add to more inflation and fresh demand for enhancing wages in the private sector creating new pressure on employers.
This is going to be very difficult as the economy is already suffering from continued stagnation resulting from lack of investment and expansion of business activities. Despite these limitations the government will have no problem since it can always levy extra tax and penalize people to generate more revenue to pay themselves. But suffering to ordinary people will only multiply.
One estimate suggests that the government would require an additional Tk 17,000 crore this year to implement new pay scale. The pay hike for the government leaders would further push the budgetary burden this year to around Tk 60,000 crore at a time when the budgetary deficit stands at Tk 86,000 crore.
What appears highly disturbing is that nowhere in the world a government has ever doubled the pay and perks so indiscriminately based on political consideration to buy the loyalty of the public administration. Such practice is rare except under an authoritarian dispensation.
Looking at things plainly, the government leaders are already enjoying reasonable benefits in keeping with dignity of the leadership. And on top of it they are not expected to raise their own pay by themselves. It is no more secret that the government is using its unchallenged political authority without a viable opposition in parliament. The opposition in the streets also has been totally marginalized through repressive police actions.
Proprieties & ethical issues
It is seemingly using its absolute power to appease bureaucracy. But the lavish financial awards have accentuated the clash of interest and discord within the government machinery. At least 29 BCS cadre groups have joined hands against the administration cadre because of discrimination in pay scale demanding its correction.
BCS cadre services including physicians, engineers and agriculturists are agitating for removal of anomalies while government college teachers and public university teachers are observing frequent strikes for restoration of their lost status. Money is enough, but prestige is non-negotiable.
Former chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Mr Gulam Rahman told this Correspondent that there are no doubt public leaders also need money for living, although they hold non-profit office to serve the people. But if they feel that their pay and perks as ministers or MPs deserve to be enhanced, they can only do it for the benefit of functionaries of the next government.
The fact is that when they contest election they do it knowing well what financial benefits they are entitled to and whether it would be enough for them during the upcoming period of their stay in power. So they can’t suddenly say that they are not paid enough.
But if they really feel that the financial benefits deserves to be raised for government leaders in view of the high cost of living and cost of running office, they may bring a bill before the parliament and pass legislation to enhance the benefits.
But in that event, it would be applicable for the leaders in parliament or the executive branch of the government in the next administration. So raising the pay for themselves as the government leaders are doing now in Bangladesh is fraught with many ethical issues that they can’t be ignore.
Source: Weekly Holiday
