A call for an urgent and comprehensive increase in the salaries of government employees has been made by a member of Parliament.
Jalal Kadhem Al Mahfoodh said that the rising cost of living and long-standing wage stagnation have severely eroded the purchasing power of Bahraini families.
He also noted that the last salary increase for civil servants took place almost 14 years ago, despite sweeping economic changes that have significantly impacted citizens’ living standards.
The proposal was presented to Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam yesterday.
However, the details have been left to negotiations between the government, represented by the Civil Service Commission, and Parliament’s services committee.
The wages of civil servants were raised up to 36.5 per cent in 2011 with BD200 million pumped for that year alone to cover the adjustment. The beneficiaries also included pensioners.
“It has been nearly 14 years since the last government salary increase,” said Mr Al Mahfoodh.
“During this period, VAT was introduced, inflation rose and the prices of essential goods and services climbed sharply, yet salaries have remained unchanged. This has exhausted Bahraini households and weakened their ability to cope with daily expenses.”
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