The government has finally approved the long-waited ‘risk allowance’ for Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) personnel in accordance with the National Pay Scale 2015.
The risk allowance has, however, come as a big shock for the top rank ACC officials as the government’s new scheme excluded them from getting its benefit.
Finance Division under the Ministry of Finance issued a circular in this regard on 20 August, granting the special allowance for lower rank ACC employees only.
The ACC staff under Grade 10 to 20 will be entitled to 30 per cent of their basic salaries as risk allowance. The risk allowance scheme would come into effect from date of issuance of the circular, signed by Finance Ministry’s Deputy Secretary Laila Muntazery Dina.
As per Pay Scale 2015, Grade-10 ACC employees are entitled to get Tk 2,700 to Tk 5,400 as monthly risk allowance while a Grade-20 ACC staff will get Tk 1200 to Tk 2600 depending on the length of their service.
“The government has approved the risk allowance for ACC staff, based on age and grades, considering their role in the fight against corruption,” a senior Finance Ministry official told The New Nation Tuesday, on condition of anonymity.
He said employees under Grade-10 and downwards have been brought under the new scheme considering their workload and adversity they face during anti-graft drive.
When asked, he said, “The national exchequer would not take much burden from the risk allowance, as the new scheme will require nominal budgetary allocation.”
Cheered by the government decision, a Grade-10 ACC official told the New Nation that the risk allowance would help boost their morale and courage during drives against corrupts and graft suspects.
High ACC officials, however, declined to comment regarding the risk allowance although they were pursuing the matter with the government for many years.
In a recent letter to the Cabinet Division, the ACC said that the risk allowance, equivalent to 50 per cent of basic salary, would boost the morale and efficiency of its staff and enhance effectiveness of the government’s ongoing anti-graft efforts.
The (ACC) letter mentioned that the government would require Tk 15 crore per year if it approves risk allowance in favour of the ACC officials and employees. The Cabinet Division later forwarded the letter to the Finance Division, which earlier rejected the ACC’s proposal twice in this regard, citing the government’s resource constraint.
The letter cited that the risk allowance would inspire the ACC officials and help combat corruption effectively.
Currently, members of the law enforcement agencies (Police, RAB, BGB, Cost Guard, Ansar and Foresters) get ‘risk allowance’ considering their jobs as of hazard nature.
