The finance division has been directed to place the proposed recommendations for the ninth pay scale for government officials and employees before the cabinet within the next two weeks.

The directive was issued yesterday at a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, The Daily Star has learnt from people involved with the proceedings.

“If it is not possible to place it in the upcoming cabinet meeting, instructions have been given to do it in the following week’s meeting,” a member of the high-level committee told The Daily Star.

The committee’s recommendations were finalised in the previous meeting, and yesterday’s additional meeting was called to sort out some technical aspects regarding the judiciary, said a finance ministry official.

“Upon receiving the finance minister’s nod, the proposal will be sent to the cabinet for approval,” he said.

Keeping the country’s revenue mobilisation situation in mind, the committee has recommended disbursing the basic salary this fiscal year and the allowances in the next fiscal year.

This means the ninth pay scale will be implemented in two phases, like the eighth pay scale.

The new pay scale will come into effect from July 1, but it might take a few months to complete the necessary legal and technical formalities after the cabinet’s approval, said a committee member.

The government employees may have to wait a few months to see the increased amounts credited to their bank accounts, he added.

A similar delay occurred during the implementation of the eighth pay scale, which took effect in July 2015, but the employees received the increased salary in their accounts in December that year.

The committee held several meetings to examine and coordinate the recommended salary structures for civil, military and judicial services, culminating in the current integrated proposal, which is ready for cabinet review.

For employees in grades 1 to 10, a 100 percent or slightly lower increase in basic salaries will be recommended, while those in grades 11 to 20 can brace for an average increase of around 130 percent.

Government employees currently receive a 10 percent dearness allowance and a 5 percent annual increment on their basic salaries. These would be adjusted into the hiked salaries under the new pay scale, said finance ministry officials.

The proposed budget for fiscal 2026-27 has earmarked Tk 44,000 crore for partial implementation of the new pay structure.

The government currently spends around Tk 131,000 crore annually on salaries and pensions for about 14 lakh employees and 9 lakh pensioners.