WJ approves govt officers’ salary equalization proposal

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga or lower house on Wednesday approved equalization of government employees’ salaries, vowing not to approve the 1400 fiscal year’s budget until balanced development was observed among provinces.

The proposal for equalization of government officers was suggested by 30 lawmakers.

Mir Rahman Rahmani, Wolesi Jirga speaker, said the proposal to equalize salaries of officers, teachers, martyrs’ families, soldiers and retired officers was approved and shared with the Finance and Budget Commissions to include it in the budget plan.

Based on the proposal, salaries of the mentioned people should be allocated from codes 91 and 92, and salaries of National Technical Assistance (NTA), Capacity Building for Results (CBR) and Super Skill figures, he said.

He said lawmakers would not go on winter recess until salaries of government servants were increased for 1400 fiscal year.

“The government wants to delay sharing the budget plan with the lower house so lawmakers make an urgent decision and approve it before winter recess approaches”, he said.

With a total outlay of 452 billion afghanis, the next year budget includes 295 billion afghanis for general expenses and 156 billion for development purposes. The draft budget plan for 1400 fiscal year had been rejected by Wolesi Jirga.

Rahmani warned that the house would not approve the draft plan until all provinces were allocated a balanced budget.

Belqis Roshan, a lawmaker from Farah province, about equalization of salaries said, “We stand for increasing salaries of teachers, we hope that no secret deals would be made in this regard.”

Meanwhile, Mohammad Iqbal Safi, a lawmaker from Kapisa said that teachers and government officers were the only people who struggled with economic issues.

He termed current salary scale for officers and teachers as unjust and said that the proposal for equalization of salaries should be implemented.

Mds/ma

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