ID :
337280
Wed, 08/06/2014 - 12:03
Auther :

Bt20-30b to be spent on raising government officials' salaries

BANGKOK, August 6 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Finance says that a planned 8-per cent salary rise for government officials will additionally cost the state about 20-30 billion baht annually. Permanent Secretary for Finance Rungson Sriworasat told journalists on Wednesday that, in response to the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)'s plan to increase government officials' salaries, an initial study found that the salary rise should be limited at 8 per cent at the maximum and should cover all government officials, including retirees, who should receive different rates of increments, with the rise to be centered on low-ranking officials. Rungson acknowledged that the cost-of-living allowance for the officials should also be raised from 1,500 to 2,000 baht monthly and the state would have to, thus, pay additional 20-30 billion baht yearly, with the rise expected to begin in April 2014. Meanwhile, Comptroller-General Manas Jamveha cautioned if all government officials received an 8-per cent pay rise, the state would shoulder an extra burden of 40 billion baht yearly and the junta would have to consider the issue carefully. Manas suggested that salary increases for low-ranking officials should then be limited at some groups, pointing out that the pensions of retirees who had received less than 9,000 baht monthly was recently increased to 9,000 baht. (TNA)

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