Pay Revision and My Indifference

In one of my earlier post, I remember writing that I am Customs officer by profession. I also wrote myself being a blogger and reader by passion. Didn't I ? I think I did so. But of late, with smuggling rate shooting up, I am getting bogged down with writing various reports, preparing exhibits, gathering evidence and handing over the people to the Police.

Thanks to such events, I have now discovered a new writing skill. Its called writing the "Chronology of Event". Mind you, it is totally different form of writing from what I normally do. My superiors, friend and colleagues,  big and small keep telling me that its a serious business. So I need to be cent percent conscious.

And here is another thing that is keeping me on my knees and toes. -writing meeting minutes. Sometime I get the feeling that I am becoming a professional minute keeper.

Yesterday, to the happiness of all the Bhutanese civil servants, the National Assembly of Bhutan has finally announced the much awaited (upward) pay revision. Its long over due, but the delay is understandable. Our exchequer, according to talk of the town has gone high and dry on resources. Seriously, when our current Government promised pay hike along with the housing allowance, I really did not believe. For once, I thought that our much talked about pay revision is any thing but a grim possibility even with the presence of Buddha and his blessing. With all sorts of austerity measures in place, our present government, who otherwise promised power and change to the people are rumored to have played the "pay revision politics".

Whatever may be, civil servants will earn more starting this July. So Big Thank you to our Government. Temporary and volatile it may be, it is a cause for celebration. Vehicle quota seems gone, but who cares, there is handy Nu. 160,000 coming. DSA has gone up Nu.1000 per day. Mileage is up too. Nu 6 for low ranks and Nu 16 for high ranks looks ridiculous though. But again, who cares. Let me not go further. But as a Revenue and Customs official I am bit nervous and worried. Because this calls for us to collect more from our tax payers. To make affairs such as these sustainable, it calls for Revenue and Customs people to sweat more, shed more tears, take in more criticisms, and face more allegations.  Interestingly, not many seem to know this.

There are few things that I am not able to understand about the recent pay revision. First. For civil servants, revision percentage is descending as we move up. Second. What  is the rationale behind revision for MPs by more than 50%. I am sorry but this reminds me of a Book called "Animal farm" by George Orwell (where it says only Pigs deserves to drink milk, but I am not saying our MPs are pigs)  Third. Why our PM is begging not to take the proposed hike. Fourth. There is no mention of my department and many other uniformed departments when it comes to uniform allowance. I can go on. But we all know, how pleasing everyone is perpetual impossibility in democratic society.

Now here is the reason why I am saying its a temporary and volatile affair. With pay hike, civil servants will even pay more too. As such house owners have already revised their rental charges. With this revision, it gives them the motivation to do it one more time. Shopkeepers and vegetable vendors are seen celebrating. Prices of meat have gone up and so would the prices of other commodities in coming days.

On many occasions, I bought goods on credit because my bank balance ran low.  I did not respond to those miss calls because my voucher ran low too. Some other time, my family just enough to see the month end and not more. Today am happily managing with just one pair of shoes. And happily I tell people that I am somehow managing to keep my pot boiling. I have sailed across a high and rough inflationary tides and I survived. I don't know whether the proposed hike of 21% would actually cover the inflation. But I have now come to agree that living is no easy business but can be made even without the hike in pay. So I think Pay revision is not the solution at this age but our frugality is. Therefore I am bit indifferent to this revision.

From Customs Office Once Again

Few days a go, we had an in-house training on x-ray image reading and analysis. The training was initiated by those officials who had the opportunity of undergoing the said training in Bangkok. I was told that the training was funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with Regional Office for Capacity Building for customs (ROCB) and the Thai Customs.  I am sure WCO must have also played its role. I was also told about the immense support rendered by the head office of  DRC in this regard. Someday I would love to write a detail report on it. But for now please bear with my brief unofficial write up.

My Final Results

My 4th sem result are out and I  am happy to share with my friends that I have scored 86.17% (517/600) With this I have now sealed my Masters in Economics with an aggregate of 81.16%. (1948/2400) I am writing  this as a matter of my own record and history. 

My Thoughts on DRC Staff Welfare Contribution System

For the last few months, I was looking for someone who could update me on the status of my welfare loan. By the way I availed a staff welfare loan of Nu.15000 in 2010 (Nov) from our Department's welfare fund. I don't know to how many people I may have asked but I never got a satisfactory answer. In a mean time, I was continuing to see a long list of deductions being made from my salary every month. 

Finally, I was able to garner some response when I brought this topic on the Facebook. Interestingly some of my colleagues received it with humor. They think my Economics knowledge has intensified my greed for money. I think they are not fully right, because these days, economics not only about maximization but it is lot about optimization now. 

On the Facebook, I came to know that, I have still one more installment to make to fully liquidate my loan. Further, I also got a response from a very senior colleague. She did not say I was complaining. But she thinks I am doing one. No hard feeling and nothing personal. I am absolutely fine. But on a serious note, I write a feedback and I get warned. I look for clarification and people think I am complaining. Its hard to believe. I think we indeed live in complicated world where people judge us before they even know us and understand our intentions.

She also told me about the trust she have for the fund managers. But its not the integrity of the fund managers I was questioning about. I just needed an update on my outstanding loan. I said I am critical about the contribution system because, in my 7 years of contribution, I have not even seen a single audited statement or reports. Call it a miscommunication or negligence!! That is why  for such things, I believe only things I see!

I wrote this reply to her.

Madam, With due respect I thank you for your information. Firstly I am just seeking clarification here. I am not complaining. I am sorry if i sound little rude. I think I have that right. Do I or not??? And any one who contribute has the same right. At least I think that way....I did not say it didn't benefit anywhere. I was just asking friends to enlighten me more...because I have honestly not much idea about what is happening with contributions....Yea I took a loan and it was so helpful.....and i was paying it back also .... i just wanted to know how much more i have to pay. because deductions has been going on for more than 24 months! For a petty loan, 24 deduction is psychologically bit taxing mena la madam...what do u think??? 

Secondly I have never seen any audited reports or statements so far.....I did not even know who the secretary and treasurer were to this end. Could be because we have some miscommunication in between. Its understandable because ours is a big department. So I was looking for someone to bridge this gap. If u remember what has happened in other ministries with the Welfare contribution, few years ago, I think I have reasonable reason to believe that same thing might also happen with ours too...(But I am not trying to accuse anyone here). More over, if you read between the lines, I never questioned the "Contribution Account ". I have just asked for clarification on "Contribution System" (Italics, added later)

And finally, If I have to make a suggestion then I think its better we discontinue this contribution for once and for all. Refund all the contributions made so far based on existing rules, if there is any (Italics, added later)........but we can always have a better welfare contribution system in our respective regional offices, Small, compact and efficient. Easy to manage. I  think Paro RRCO has the best staff welfare contribution system....May be all regional office can learn from Paro in this regard..... Anyways I think we need more such discourses here.

Have a nice day madam and yea my regards to all our colleagues in DRC.

I will write more about this welfare fund system, after I get more information from the fund managers.  People believe it has so many advantages and I think I must know too. I want to feel that the deduction from my hard earned salary is justified.