The cabinet has yet to approve a request for special pay hikes for 600 of the officials working for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), according to the government spokesman.
Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd was responding to criticism after media reported the news. The special pay raises are in addition to the regular two-step pay raises for outstanding performers.
“The cabinet simply acknowledged the request at Tuesday’s meeting. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asked the security team and the NCPO to review the reward to ensure it’s appropriate and fair,” he said on Saturday.
He added that the NCPO had officials working all over the country and they had responsibilities beyond their regular duties -- maintaining peace and order, accepting complaints from people together with the Damrongtham Centre, promoting unity and reconciliation, solving human trafficking problems and tackling corruption.
“Those dedicated to their jobs and showing outstanding performance deserve some reward to bolster morale,” he said.
However, budget constraints and spending effectiveness cannot be overlooked, he said.
“Reports by some media outlets that the cabinet had already approved the raises is therefore untrue," he said.
The NCPO, also headed by Gen Prayut, has 19,987 officers, most of whom are active military and police personnel. They receive regular salaries from their original units and also from the NCPO.
Competent NCPO officers are entitled to the two-step pay raise for their positions at the NCPO. Since the 2014 coup, the cabinet has approved the special pay raises for 3% of the NCPO workforce, at 1,033, 709, and 721 members respectively over the last three years.
.png?w=600)
