The merger of civil service’s two cadres – administration cadre and economic cadre – is one step away from happening as it only needs the law ministry’s vetting, says official said
“The proposal on the merger has been sent to the law ministry seeking its opinions,” Additional Secretary of public administration ministry Rakib Hossain told Bangla Tribune.
The government will then issue gazette notification.
On Sept 10 this year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Administration Ministry recommended taking immediate steps to merge BCS Administration and BCS Economic Cadres for the sake of the country’s development management.
A week later, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, okayed the move and approved a project 'Establishment of BCS Economic Academy (2nd revised)' involving Tk 2.58 billion.
As many as 464 officials on economic cadre will be attached with administration cadre after the merger, according to sources at public administration ministry.
Back in 1984, government created economic cadre in the civil service aimed at speeding up its development plan formulation and project implantation. These cadres are usually attached with Finance and planning ministries.
The government, however, moved to dissolve the economic cadre with forming an inter-ministerial body.
In 2013, the body recommended merging both cadres. But, the process started after the body reported to the Prime Minister’s Office on Jun 5, 2017.
Later, the body sent its revised reports to the PMO twice, which the prime minister approved on Jul 20, 2017.
Following the PMO’s approval, the public administration ministry finished all legal proceedings and sent it to the law ministry’s for its vetting recently.
Official, however, said the move is now one step away from issuing the gazette.
“It’s on the law mister’s table now and we will take the next step (issuing gazette) following the minister’ approval,” said Hossain, who heads the public administration ministry’s the Career Planning and Training Wing.