B Mirror Report: Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that the implementation of the ninth national pay scale will begin from July 1 of the upcoming fiscal year.

He made the remarks during an interview with journalists at his office on Monday (18 May).

The minister said the new pay structure will come into effect from the start of the next fiscal year, and preparations are underway to determine the best possible implementation method. However, he noted that due to budget constraints, it will not be possible to implement all recommendations of the pay commission at once.

He added that the government is working under significant fiscal limitations, citing low revenue collection compared to GDP and the need for expenditure cuts in several areas. “Even so, the implementation of the new pay structure is being treated with importance,” he said.

According to official sources, the Prime Minister has already instructed that the ninth pay scale be introduced from the 2026–27 fiscal year, with special allocations expected in the upcoming national budget. A meeting of the implementation committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, is scheduled for May 21 to finalise the roadmap.

Officials indicated that the pay scale will be implemented in phases over three fiscal years rather than all at once.

Under the proposed plan, government, autonomous, semi-government institutions, the judiciary and armed forces personnel will receive a 50 percent increase in basic salary in the first phase. The remaining adjustments will be implemented in the next two fiscal years.

In the second phase (2027–28), the remaining 50 percent salary adjustment will be completed. In the third phase (2028–29), allowances and additional benefits will be fully implemented.

Government estimates suggest that implementing the new pay structure will require around Tk 106,000 crore, with an additional Tk 25,000 crore needed for pensions, bringing the total projected cost to approximately Tk 131,000 crore.

Earlier, a 23-member pay commission headed by former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan submitted its report recommending salary and allowance increases for government employees and pensioners. The proposal suggested raising the minimum salary from Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,000 and the maximum from Tk 78,000 to Tk 160,000, while keeping the existing 20-grade structure unchanged.