Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said on Sunday that the next government will implement a new pay commission.
He made the statement while speaking to journalists after a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat.
Salehuddin also said discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are ongoing regarding the disbursement of instalments.
“All information we have will be handed over to the next government as a package. The sixth IMF instalment will not be released during the interim period. The IMF will make this call based on the performance of the political government,” he said.
Salehuddin said the country’s overall progress remains positive.
“Inflation has come down, though house rent and transport costs have increased. We are working to keep commodity prices at a tolerable level. Overall, prices are stable and rice prices are also within a tolerable range,” he pointed out.
Salehuddin added that the government is working to import crude oil and that fertiliser and essential agricultural inputs are being brought in.
At the procurement advisory committee meeting, approval was given to import 170,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 50,000 tonnes of rice from various countries.
The finance adviser also said the country’s people are reluctant to pay taxes and stressed the need to raise revenue collection.
Separately, at a meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) held at the Secretariat, the government fixed the procurement price for paddy and rice for the current 2025–26 Aman season. Procurement will continue until February.
After the FPMC meeting, Salehuddin said the government will procure 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy, 600,000 metric tonnes of parboiled rice, and 50,000 metric tonnes of non-parboiled rice. Procurement will begin on 20 November. The purchase price has been set at Tk34 per kg for paddy, Tk50 per kg for parboiled rice and Tk49 per kg for non-parboiled rice.
Back in July, the interim government formed a 23-member pay commission for public officials and employees under the National Pay Scale with former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan as its chief.
A circular issued by finance ministry said the commission will consider cost of living of a family of not more than six members including parents. The commission has been tasked to submit a report within six months of the first meeting.
