Kathmandu, May 29
For the state coffers, the KP Oli-led ruling coalition’s decision to give government employees a raise of 25 per cent means one thing: Additional burden of around 26 billion rupees.
Before this hike, the state was shelling out around 1.04 trillion rupees for payment of salary to government employees, including those with Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, teachers at government-run schools and civil service. Now, the government will have to provide around Rs 1.33 trillion in salary.
There are around three lakh employees on government payroll, while around one lakh more get pension.
The government also provides for lawmakers, ministers, prime minister, president, among others. The new constitution has stipulated a smaller Legislature, even as the state continues to provide for a large number of lawmakers.
This added burden comes at a time when the state, recovering slowly from the debilitating effects of the Indian blockade, is finding it hard to provide for the victims of disasters like last year’s quakes, flooding and landslides.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to increase the prices of petroleum products by five per cent, in the name of collecting seven billion rupees for the 1200-MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. The state coffers could have saved seven billion rupees if the government had decided to give its employees a raise of 20 per cent. And it could have invested this money in the Budhi Gandaki.
Maybe, this step could have kept market prices in check.
What do you think of the coalition’s decision to give government employees a raise? Feel free to comment.
