Parliament has moved to tighten oversight of executive pay by extending the reach of the Higher Salaries Commission to eight additional government bodies, bringing the total number of entities subject to its scrutiny to 35. The change follows an amendment to the 2023 Act that governs the Commission’s mandate, and signals a broader push to standardise and make more transparent how senior public-sector salaries are determined.
Public Enterprises Minister Charan Jeath Singh described the newly included organisations as “strategic” and “vital to the national economy and the delivery of essential services.” Singh said the extension will ensure that remunerations for CEOs and other senior executives across these bodies are assessed under the same independent framework already applied to other government-controlled entities. “This will promote greater transparency, fairness, and consistency in the remuneration package,” he said, noting that several of the organisations rely on government financial support or public resources to carry out statutory functions.
The Higher Salaries Commission provides an independent, impartial framework for determining pay levels for chief executives and senior managers in government entities. Under the expanded remit, boards and appointing authorities will need to align proposed executive packages with the Commission’s benchmarks and approval processes, rather than negotiating outside that established structure. Singh emphasised that the aim is to keep executive pay “transparent, structured, and strictly regulated across the public sector.”
Prior to the amendment, 27 bodies fell under the Commission’s oversight; the addition of eight brings the monitored cohort to 35. Parliament has not yet published a full list of the newly included organisations, but the move is aimed at closing gaps where public funds or government guarantees support operations. Officials say the measure will also strengthen public accountability and reduce ad hoc or inconsistent award of high remuneration packages in state-affiliated bodies.
The expansion comes amid other government efforts to tighten financial controls and oversight across the public sector. In recent months ministries have moved to centralise approvals for spending decisions such as overtime payments, citing budgetary pressures and the need for tighter fiscal stewardship. The extension of the Higher Salaries Commission’s remit is the latest step in that direction, placing executive pay decisions within a single, transparent regulatory framework.
Opposition and civic groups have in the past criticised large executive packages in state-influenced organisations as lacking adequate public accountability. By bringing more bodies under the Commission, the government is signalling that it intends to reduce discretion in pay-setting for entities that use public resources. How boards and affected organisations adjust recruitment and retention strategies in response to standardized pay benchmarks will be watched closely as the amendment is implemented.
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