One of the key recommendations of the Public Administration Reform Commission is the reduction in the number of ministries. Currently, there are a total of 43 ministries, which include 61 divisions.
The commission has proposed restructuring them into 25 ministries and 40 divisions for a more rational government structure.
This recommendation was included in the report submitted to Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday (February 5) afternoon by the Public Administration Reform Commission.
Additionally, the commission has suggested categorizing the ministries into five clusters:
(a) Statutory Administration
(b) Finance, Industry, and Trade
(c) Physical Infrastructure and Communication
(d) Agriculture and Environment
(e) Human Resources and Social Development
The commission has also recommended changing the mandatory retirement policy. It advised that no government officer or employee should be made a Special Duty Officer (OSD) without specific allegations against them.
Instead of keeping OSD officers idle while paying them salaries and allowances, the commission suggested assigning them temporary roles in teaching or training institutions.
The report also proposed adjusting base salaries annually based on inflation and the cost of living index provided by Bangladesh Bank. However, the salary increase should not exceed 5% per year. To facilitate this, the commission recommended establishing a permanent pay commission.
Furthermore, the report highlighted an existing disparity: currently, deputy secretaries receive a car loan and a monthly allowance of BDT 50,000 for vehicle maintenance, a benefit not available to officers in other services outside the Secretariat. The commission recommended abolishing this provision to ensure fairness and reduce government expenditure.
