Dhaka: Cabinet approved the draft of an amendment bill seeking increment of the remunerations and allowances for president, prime minister, speaker, chief justice, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers. 

The proposal was approved in the regular meeting of the cabinet on Monday.

The cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the cabinet accepted drafts of President’s remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act, Prime Minister’s remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act, Minister-State Minister-Deputy Ministers’ remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act, Speaker-Deputy Speaker remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act, Members of the parliament remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act, Supreme Court Judges’ remuneration-allowance (amendment) Act.

According to the draft amendments, the monthly salary of the President will go up to Tk 1,20,000 from the current amount of Tk 61,200, while that of the Prime Minister’s Tk 1,15,000 from Tk 58,600.

The insurance coverage for the President during air travel has been increased to Tk 27,00,000 from the existing 15,00,000 while that of the discretionary fund would remain at Tk 2,00,00,000.

The insurance coverage for the Prime Minister during air travel has also been proposed to be Tk 25,00,000 instead of Tk 14,00,000 while that of the discretionary fund has been increased to Tk 1,50,00,000 from the existing Tk 1,00,00,000.

The salary of the Speaker has been proposed to be Tk 1,12,000 from the existing Tk 57,200 while that of the Chief Justice Tk 1,10,000 from the existing Tk 56,000.

The salaries of ministers alongside the Deputy Speaker, Opposition Leader in the House, Chief Whip and Appellate Division judges have been proposed to be Tk 1, 05,000 instead of the existing Tk 53,100.  The salaries of the High Court Division judges have been increased to Tk 95,000 from the existing Tk 49,000 while that of State Ministers, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and Whip to Tk 92,000 from the existing Tk 47,800.

The salaries of deputy ministers have been proposed to be Tk 86,500 from the existing Tk 45,150 while that of parliament members Tk 55,000 from the existing Tk 27,500.

Besides, the expenditure allowances, house allowances in case of private houses, insurance coverage during air travel, daily allowances and discretionary fund and other allowances of the concerned have also been raised.

The salaries would be made effective from 1 July, 2015 while the allowances from 1 July, 2016.

Earlier in 2010, remunerations, salaries and allowances of president, prime minister, speaker, chief justice, ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers and lawmaker were increased.