The People’s Majlis presidium has rejected an urgent motion submitted by Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), raising concerns over the Finance Committee’s decision to increase the salaries of the Speaker and ministers, and returned the motion.
The motion said that deciding to raise the salaries and allowances of the Speaker and ministers at a time when the country’s economic situation has deteriorated and the public’s cost of living has risen, and before the salaries of health and education sector staff have been raised amid concerns over pay equalisation, was an injustice to the public.
The motion also noted that the move to raise salaries in a way that would increase state expenditure comes while the Finance Ministry has instructed the Privatisation and Corporatisation Board (PCB) to reduce staff at state-owned enterprises by 33 percent, and while the state has spent MVR 4.5 billion more than the revenue it received this year.
Returning the motion, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla said an urgent motion cannot be submitted for the purpose of making advance comments on a matter that will be debated in the Majlis at a later time, and that the motion did not meet this condition.
The Finance Committee has approved raising the Speaker’s salary to MVR 95,125, increasing ministers’ car allowance, and raising the salaries of island councils.
While it was proposed to add an allowance of MVR 22,000 for the Speaker, as the Speaker does not receive the committee allowance given to members because he cannot sit on committees, the opposition MDP has issued a statement calling for the decision to be reversed, saying it would add MVR 40 million a year to state expenditure.
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