The Mongolian government has decided to increase the salaries of public servants by 8 to 30 percent starting next month, the country's Minister of Labor and Social Protection Sodnom Chinzorig said Wednesday.

The decision to increase the salaries of public servants came after Mongolian public servants, especially teachers and nurses, have repeatedly demanded the government increase their wages.

"Today, the government approved the salary enhancement for public servants except political officials, judges and prosecutors," Chinzorig told reporters after a government meeting.

Salaries of secondary and high school teachers and other public servants who receive equal or lower wages to teachers will be increased by 8 percent, the minister said.

Teachers of preschools and primary schools, nurses and employees in the culture and art sector will get a salary increase of 12.3 to 30 percent, the minister said.

Chinzorig said some 173,000 people will benefit from the salary enhancement.

At present, the average monthly salary of a civil servant in Mongolia is 630,000 Mongolian tugriks (255 U.S. dollars), according to official statistics.

But judges and prosecutors in the country get an average salary of 1.5 to 4 million Mongolian tugriks (608 to 1,623 dollars) per month.

Source: www.xinhuanet.com