Dhaka, Oct. 26 -- An initial estimate by the National Pay Commission (NPC) suggests the new government pay scale would require around Tk 700 billion more annually, including a hike in pensions, gratuities and medical allowances.

The amount is equivalent to nearly three months of the government's tax revenue collection and is almost double the current allocation for salaries and allowances of government officials in the last fiscal year.

NPC officials said the figure is a guesstimate, based on pay hike demands raised by government officials after a decade.

They described the estimate as a "ballpark figure" that may change once final recommendations are compiled from stakeholder consultations.

Economists said such an amount might be req...