Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said that the interim government had yet to take any decision on providing dearness allowance to the public officials and employees.
His remarks came while talking to reporters after a meeting of the council of advisers on the government purchase at Bangladesh Secretariat.
On December 12, the finance ministry appointed a seven-member committee headed by principal secretary to the chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to find out ways to provide dearness allowance to the public employees.
Three days later, senior secretary Mokhlesur Rahman of the Ministry of Public Administration, also a member of the seven-member committee, told reporters that the interim government would announce dearness allowance for all its employees soon.
The amount of dearness allowance would be determined after two or three meetings, he added.
But on Tuesday, the finance adviser said that he did not know who gave the announcement regarding the dearness allowance.
鈥榃e are yet to give any announcement,鈥� he said.
He also added that the Finance Division would take the decision regarding the dearness allowance upon receiving the proposals from the seven-member committee.
Answering another question regarding upward adjustment in special allowances for diplomats and others working in Bangladesh missions abroad, the finance adviser remarked that the demand was logical and remained pending since 2015.聽
Earlier, the finance adviser said that they approved separate proposals for procuring fertiliser and diesel to address domestic demands and stabilise the market.
Under a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation will import 1,30,000 tonnes of diesel from India costing Tk 1,137.76 crore.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation will procure 30,000 tonnes of triple super phosphate fertiliser under a state-level agreement with Morocco from OCP NUTRICROPS costing $440 per tonne.
Besides, approvals were also given for procuring rice, lentil and sugar.
The Directorate General of Food will procure 1,00,000 tonnes of non-boiled rice from Vietnam Southern Food Corporation on a government-to-government engagement with Vietnam costing $474.25 per tonne.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh will procure 10,000 tonnes of sugar from City Sugar Industries Limited under a local open render method costing Tk 115.42 per kilogram.
The same corporation will procure 10,000 tonnes of lentil to be supplied by Sheikh Agro Food Industries at Tk 98.45 per kilogram.