In the next federal budget for 2024–2025, the Ministry of Finance has suggested raising salaries by 15-20%.
The ministry’s insiders claim that while the monetisation policy for bureaucrats has been recommended to be raised from Rs40,000 to Rs60,000, that of officers up to Grade 20 has been proposed to be raised from Rs65,000 to Rs 10,000,000.
They claimed that the national exchequer will lose Rs. 80 billion as a result of the 10% pay hike for officials in Grades 1 through 20.
According to the sources, there is a need for a 200% increase in medical and transportation benefits for staff members in grades 1 through 16.
Additionally, Grade 1 through Grade 16 scale personnel now receive a transportation fee of Rs. 1,800 and a medical allowance of Rs. 1,500, whilst Grade 17 and 18 officers receive a conveyance allowance of Rs. 5, 000.
According to the sources, there is also a plan to raise the conveyance allowance by 200%.
The discrepancy allowance for Grade 16 personnel was 15% in 2022 and 25% in 2021. The ministry has also suggested maintaining the discrepancy allowance to eliminate the pay gap between federal and provincial workers in the next budget.
They said that the measures to raise pay and benefits are still in the planning phases. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will make the ultimate decision after consulting the cabinet and the Ministry of Finance.
