Govt Revises Honorarium Rates for Online Seminars

The government has revised the honorarium rates for various categories of participants involved in online seminars and workshops conducted through platforms such as Zoom under the operational budget framework.

The revised rates were announced in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Regulation Wing-2 of the Finance Division under the Ministry of Finance. The circular, signed by Joint Secretary Dr. Md. Ferdous Alam, outlines a new honorarium structure for keynote presenters, moderators, discussants, rapporteurs, and participants.

According to the circular, a keynote presenter at an online seminar or workshop will receive an honorarium of Tk 4,500, while moderators will be entitled to Tk 4,000.

The government has also fixed the honorarium for discussants at Tk 4,000 each, with a maximum of three discussants eligible for payment in a single event.

Rapporteurs will receive Tk 2,500 each, and honorarium may be paid to a maximum of two rapporteurs per seminar or workshop.

In addition, every participant attending the event will be eligible for an honorarium of Tk 1,000, the circular stated.

The Finance Division also announced the cancellation of its earlier memorandum No. 229, issued on August 25, 2021, regarding honorarium payments for online seminars and workshops. Consequently, all future payments will be made under the newly approved rates.

The revised honorarium structure came into effect immediately from the date of issuance of the circular.

Officials concerned noted that the number of online meetings, seminars, and workshops across government ministries, departments, and agencies has increased significantly in recent years. The revised rates were introduced to reflect current realities and ensure fair compensation for contributors.

According to them, the updated honorarium structure is expected to encourage greater participation by experts, researchers, and stakeholders in online knowledge-sharing, training, and policy-development activities.

//DBTech/FPO/EK/OR//