The proposed new pay scale for government employees may end up increasing bribery and corruption if effective administrative reforms and accountability in public services are not ensured, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has warned.
In a press release issued on Sunday, signed by TIB Director (Outreach and Communication) Mohammad Touhidul Islam, the organisation said that while an increase in salaries and allowances for public servants may be justified, the government must first assess its financial capacity to bear the additional burden.
TIB noted that there is no credible evidence from past experiences to suggest that raising pay scales alone reduces corruption in the public sector. On the contrary, instances of bribery and illegal transactions have increased despite previous salary hikes, it said.
In a separate statement, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the proposed salary increase would directly affect ordinary people, many of whom are already struggling with financial hardship. He pointed out that the government has yet to clarify how the large amount of funding required for the pay hike will be managed. He also warned that overall living costs, including commodity prices, could rise further as a result.
“Although government employees are paid from taxpayers’ money, bribery, corruption and irregularities have, for many, become almost an accepted practice,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman said. “There is no precedent of corruption declining following salary increases. In fact, illegal gains have often risen faster than official pay. There is little reason to believe this time will be different.”
He further remarked that allowing a lack of service-oriented mindset, weak accountability and unchecked corruption on the one hand, while increasing salaries to satisfy narrow demands on the other, amounts to a mockery of the general public.
TIB also said that even if the government manages to secure reliable funding for salary increases without imposing additional pressure on citizens, the issue cannot be treated in isolation. Ensuring transparency and accountability must precede any pay revision.
The organisation recommended strict enforcement of existing laws and regulations related to transparency in the public sector. It also proposed making it mandatory for all government officials to annually update and publicly disclose their income, expenditure and asset statements.
According to TIB, the new pay scale should apply only to officials who comply with these disclosure requirements. Those who fail to do so should not be entitled to the revised pay benefits.
TIB urged the government to take a firm and uncompromising stance on the issue.
