Ghani scraps NTA salary scale system

President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday instructed the Ministry of Finance to stop the National Technical Assistance (NTA) salary scale system, effective at the start of the new solar year, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said.

According to ARG, Ghani also said that the NTA positions will be changed to contract posts and a salary increase will be given to low-ranking employees.

“The NTA process will continue until the new year and in the next leadership session of the government, the mechanism (of the change) will be made,” said Fatima Morchal, deputy spokeswoman for the president.

Currently 24,000 government employees are employed on the NTA salary scale system and affects those earning between 38,000 and 250,000 AFN a month.

Members of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) said government should share their plans with them.

“Government should complete its investigation and send their plan to parliament,” said Sayed Azim Keberzani, a member of the Wolesi Jirga.

This comes after MPs recently refused to approve the budget for the new fiscal on the grounds that government workers needed a pay increase.

As a result, government approved a pay rise, and stated that it would increase salaries by 2,000 AFN from the new solar year