The fourth Pay Commission’s report has not gone down well with the general public. Most took to social media site Facebook to vent out their frustration and disagreement with the proposed hike. The numbers, people suggested, will only widen the gap instead of narrowing it.
Social media users also questioned the Government’s wow factor in the Pay Commission’s report.
While the Pay Commission proposed a revision of 14 per cent for the highest position holders and 29 per cent for lowest level public servants, people questioned the discrepancies in actual figures.
One user wrote, “Let’s check the wow factor.” Echoing the views of hundreds of other people, the post continues to read; “The proposed increase for low-income people is just Nu 2000, whereas the increase for senior post holders and politicians ranges from Nu 10,000 ngultrum to 25,200. The proposed increase for them alone is triple the current total salary of low-income employees.”
Another user wrote, “This pay revision certainly needs a revision.” He added, “The country must bear this additional financial burden, but putting most of the money into the pockets of big post holders and politicians definitely have nothing to do with narrowing the gap.”
Accusations were also made on the rationality of the proposed deduction of mileage for professional level public servants from the current Nu 16 ngultrum per kilometre to Nu 10.
A Facebook post read, “Terrible report. They have government SUVs and do not feel it hard. But imagine those poor civil servants, who have to use their cars for official works – rough roads everywhere, rising oil prices and vehicle maintenance cost, the poor public transport system in other parts of the country and so on.”
While a select few were in agreement with the fourth Pay Commission’s report, ever since it first surfaced on social media, yesterday, most demanded the report’s major revision.
