Devious Pay Rise

Govt accused of devious tactics in lawmakers' pay rise

• Published: 18/08/2010 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The Abhisit government is being accused of underhand tactics by slipping a huge salary upgrade for MPs and senators into the royal decree for a civil servant pay rise due in April.

The cabinet on Monday approved in principle the plan to increase salaries for civil servants by 5%. But without any previous announcement it furtively added a 15% pay increase for lawmakers, the Puea Thai Party claimed.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday rejected criticism of the civil service pay rise but did not address the 15% bonus for lawmakers.
A cabinet source said a draft royal decree sought pay rises for the entire public sector, including teachers, police and soldiers, giving them an extra 5% on their monthly salaries.
But the salaries of members of public independent agencies and parliamentarians, with the exception of ministers, would rise by about 15%.
That would mean the monthly salary of an MP or senator would jump to 71,230 baht from 62,000. The salary of the house speaker would rise to 75,590 baht from 65,920.
Wisuth Chai-narun, an opposition Puea Thai MP for Phayao, lashed out at the government for sneaking in the salary increase for parliamentarians to avoid public criticism.
He said the government should have made the decision to increase salaries and allowances for parliamentarians public when it agreed to the pay rise for civil servants.
The public had a right to know how taxpayers' money was being spent.
Mr Wisuth criticised the government for trying to please civil servants and politicians by increasing their salaries while ignoring the plight of ordinary people, particularly the rural poor. Consequently it would face a barrage of criticism.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep insisted the government had no hidden agenda in increasing salaries for government officials.
He said the increase was carefully studied before being approved. A pay rise was necessary to encourage officials to perform their duties more efficiently at a time of inflation and currency value changes.
Extra allowances for lawmakers would not be increased. Senators and MPs are given special allowances of 42,330 baht a month and the house speaker 50,000 baht.
The pay rise would take effect on April 1 with 13 billion baht from the 2011 fiscal year budget being allocated to cover it.
Deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said yesterday the cabinet had agreed to raise starting salaries for government officials as proposed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.
The salary increase would make the civil service more competitive with private enterprise in hiring staff.
Bangkok Post