Govt revises honorarium rates for online seminars, workshops

The government has revised honorarium rates for different categories of participants in seminars and workshops held online through Zoom across various offices. The finance ministry, through a circular last week, increased payments for keynote presenters, moderators, discussants, rapporteurs, and participants.

Under the new directive, a keynote presenter will receive Tk 4,500. Moderators and discussants will each receive Tk 4,000, with a maximum of three discussants allowed. Rapporteurs will be paid Tk 2,500 each, limited to two persons. Participants will receive Tk 1,000 each.

Honorarium and allowance rates for subject-based internal training of government officials were last revised on May 22, 2019. At that time, joint secretaries and officials of higher ranks were entitled to Tk 2,500 per hour-long session as trainers, while deputy secretaries and officials of lower ranks received Tk 2,000.

Training allowances were set at Tk 600 per day for trainees in Grade 9 and above, and Tk 500 for those in Grade 10 and below. Course directors received Tk 1,500 per day, coordinators Tk 1,200, and support staff Tk 500 each. Trainees were also entitled to Tk 80 per day for two rounds of tea and snacks and Tk 500 for lunch during day-long training programmes.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, as online activities expanded, the Finance Division issued a directive on August 9, 2021. It allowed trainers to receive full honorarium for online in-house training, while trainees were given half of the prescribed allowance. Course directors, coordinators, and support staff also received half of their usual rates, while no expenditure was permitted for refreshments.

Later, on August 25, 2021, another directive set honorarium policies for online seminars and workshops. Keynote presenters, moderators, discussants, and rapporteurs received payments at the prescribed rates, but participants were entitled to only half of the usual honorarium. No provision was made for support staff.