The Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has approved a proposal to increase the car allowances for government ministers and the monthly allowance for the Speaker of Parliament.
The motion to increase the remuneration for the Speaker and cabinet ministers was submitted to the committee by Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh and seconded by Fuvahmulah North MP Hamad Abdullah.
The proposal was passed with the support of committee members from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC). Two members representing the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted against the motion.
"I cannot support these changes at this time. We must consider the current economic situation of the Maldives and the global context. This will have big implications for the state budget," said Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, a member of the committee.
"Whether you call it a salary or an allowance, the funds are still being drawn from the state. Therefore, I cannot support any such changes at this moment."
Under the current framework, the Speaker of Parliament receives a total of MVR 73,000 in salary and benefits. This is lower than that of some other members because the Speaker does not participate in parliamentary committees.
Members of Parliament who attend 70 percent of committee meetings receive an allowance of MVR 10,000, while those with an attendance rate exceeding 75 percent receive MVR 20,000.
With the inclusion of the committee allowance, the Deputy Speaker currently receives a total of MVR 91,000 under existing regulations.
To address this, the Public Accounts Committee approved an additional allowance of MVR 22,000 for the Speaker. With this adjustment, the Speaker’s total monthly remuneration, including salary and benefits, will rise to MVR 95,000.
The committee also decided to increase the driver’s allowance provided to government ministers. Currently, ministers receive MVR 58,500 in salary and basic benefits, which rises to MVR 66,000 when the driver’s allowance is included.
The existing driver’s allowance totals MVR 7,500, consisting of MVR 1,000 for fuel and MVR 6,500 for driving services.
The Public Accounts Committee today approved increasing these figures to MVR 2,000 for fuel, MVR 12,000 for the driver’s salary, and MVR 3,000 as a living allowance for the driver. Following these changes, a government minister’s total monthly take-home pay will increase to MVR 75,500.
An additional allowance of MVR 5,000 was also approved as a service allowance for the presidents and vice-presidents of the councils.
Council presidents now receive MVR 25,500, while vice-presidents of the councils earn MVR 20,000. Council members earn MVR 18,000.
If passed, the salary of council presidents will be increased to MVR 30,000, while the salary of council vice presidents will rise to MVR 25,000. The pay for councillors will increase to MVR 23,000.
The decisions made by the Public Accounts Committee will now be forwarded to the floor of Parliament for debate. The changes must be approved by a vote in the full chamber before they can be implemented.
