Myanmar mulls pay raise for civil servants

YANGON - Myanmar government has put forward a state budget bill to the parliament for the fiscal year 2013-14, which will increase pay for civil servants starting the year, official media reported Saturday.

The budget allows pay rise of 20,000 Kyats ( about $23 US dollars)  for civil servants both in service and retirees in  2013- 14 starting April with extra allowances remaining unchanged.

The budget includes that for 1.2 million permanent government employees, 740,000 daily wages workers employed at government departments and 760,000 pensioners.

The budget comprises special expenditures for the upcoming Myanmar-host 27th Southeast Asian Games in this year-end, that for taking ASEAN Chair in 2014 and that for nationwide population census in 2014.

The parliament revealed that the amount of tax collected has increased significantly, while 580 billion Kyats ( 674 million dollars) could be allocated to region or state governments, 134 billion Kyats more in compared with 2012-13.

Myanmar's Financial Commission has re-drawn the state budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 in accordance with the amended National Planning Bill with a deficit of 2,926 billion Kyats ($3.4 billion).

The commission disclosed that the government has already earmarked 385 billion Kyats for raising salary and daily wages rate, allowances and regional expenses for staff in remote areas.

According to the re-drawn state budget bill to be approved by the parliament, Myanmar's gross domestic product (GDP) targets 59, 248 billion Kyats with the budget deficit to run  at 4.94 percent.