A bill has been proposed to stop giving an allowance to former Presidents to run their office and to provide an allowance to former Vice Presidents.

MVR 175,000 per month is currently given to former Presidents to run their office. The bill proposes to stop giving this financial allowance.

But the bill proposed by the government includes giving MVR 25,000 per month as a financial allowance to former Vice Presidents.

The bill also requires former Vice Presidents to be provided with free medical treatment in the Maldives and abroad.

Currently, MVR 50,000 per month is given to former Presidents as a financial allowance. The state must also provide security to them and their spouses.

The proposed amendment includes cancelling security to former Presidents who live abroad and abolishing financial allowance if the former President holds another public office.

Hulhudhoo MP Mohamed Shahid, who proposed the bill to the parliament, said the changes could save MVR 10.5 million every year.

But he said introducing a financial allowance to former Vice Presidents costs MVR 300,000 annually, while medical expenses for former Vice Presidents are expected to cost MVR 700,000 annually.