The State of the Nation Report, which was presented in the Parliament today, says the government will form the Pay Commission within the next month to examine the salaries and allowances of civil servants, local government functionaries and other public officials.
The Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, said the civil service is the nation’s backbone in Bhutan’s march towards progress. He said a genuine concern of civil servants is that their salaries and allowances are inadequate. Fuelled by inflation and spiraling rents, the cost of living has continued to rise.
While the government will look to the needs of the civil servants, the Prime Minister said, they should never lose sight of the fact that– like parliamentarians– it is the people and nation they work for.
Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay said the government will commission a comprehensive review of the civil service in the coming year. “And I will ask the civil servants themselves to undertake this review– to identify shortcomings and challenges, and come up with a practical roadmap to improve our civil service and make it more effective and efficient.”
He also said he is proud to state that Bhutan has among the brightest and most qualified civil servants. “It is important to ensure that our civil servants are efficient, motivated and committed to serve the Tsa-Wa-Sum. It is equally important to ensure that their contributions and service to the nation are recognised and rewarded.”
