The Speaker has rejected an emergency motion submitted to the People’s Majlis regarding the Public Accounts Committee’s decision to increase the salaries of the Speaker and government ministers.
During its meeting last Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee decided to grant an additional allowance of MVR 22,000 to the Speaker of Parliament. With this adjustment, the Speaker’s total monthly remuneration, including salary and allowances, will rise to MVR 95,000.
The committee further decided to increase the drivers' allowance for ministers to MVR 17,000. Following this change, government ministers will receive a total of MVR 75,000 in monthly salary and benefits.
Expressing concern over the move, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir submitted an emergency motion to the floor. The motion argued that increasing the salaries of the Speaker and ministers is unjust at a time when civil service employees continue to voice concerns over inadequate pay.
"At a time when the Maldivian economy is in decline, and the government has implemented several measures that burden the public under the guise of austerity, increasing the salaries of high-ranking state officials is unacceptable to the citizens," the motion stated.
However, presiding over today’s session, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla ruled that the emergency motion could not be accepted, stating that such motions must concern matters that are not already scheduled for future debate in the House.
Although the Public Accounts Committee has approved the pay hikes for the Speaker and ministers, the decision must still be ratified by the full parliamentary floor. The matter will be subject to further debate during the regular legislative process.
