Pay Hike

The nation can ill afford a pay hike at the moment given our dire economic situation, but the government has given one mainly aimed at preventing the alarming levels of resignations from the civil service.

The pay hike will cost the country Nu 6 bn and it will go to civil and public servants who are already the privileged class in the country.

The private sector which is in a bad shape will not be able to match up in anyway and the wage gap between the government and private sector will only grow. Farmers will also not be getting a hike.

In the absence of budgetary means the Bitcoin mining project has saved the day as DHI will be giving Nu 8 billion over two financial years to help finance the hike.

Therefore, the hike comes with a special sense of responsibility for the civil servants.

It should also come with a sense of guilt given the economic circumstances.

Civil servants should now stop complaining about pay or the reforms and start delivering results.

It will be very disappointing for an ordinary citizen going for services to encounter a dour face at the counter.

Change in any organization must start in the heart of the people working there. As they enjoy their higher pay they should realize that their fellow citizens are not as lucky and that should drive them to change and do much better.

His Majesty The King once emptied out Royal funds saved over decades during the pandemic and now the Bitcoin mining project which has been inspired by His Majesty’s vision is coming to the rescue again. 

The civil servants apart from improving their performance in the office have an additional unofficial duty.

They should use the additional funds to shop, eat and go out as this will mean a big boost for local businesses.

The Nu 6 bn pumped into the public servants will help boost the economy. It is hoped this transfer will help the private sector.

The government cannot be expected to give a pay hike to the private sector, but it must come up with good policies and measures to ensure that the private sector can recover and grow.

Landlords must not use the hike to raise rents as people working in the private sector will not be able to afford it.

Civil servants contemplating resignation after this hike should also reflect on if it is worth leaving everything behind for a little more money. The hike shows Bhutan has a lot of future potential.

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.
George Bernard Shaw