Allowance increments for Parliament staff
The parliamentary staff, who play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Majlis, had long awaited an increase in their remuneration.
In a country like the Maldives, where the cost of living and housing expenses continue to soar, the importance of an adequate salary cannot be overstated. With high living expenses and rising rent, achieving a satisfactory work-life balance in the nation's capital, Malé, can be quite challenging for the average citizen. As a result, decisions made by the government regarding public sector salaries have a direct impact on the lives of its people.
In recent times, the Government of the Maldives has been working towards slowly increasing the salaries for those who work in the Government sector which includes civil servants as well as teachers, lecturers as well as healthcare workers. While some of these sectors have seen an increase in their salaries since 2022, now the Government has announced another salary increment, with the recent decision by the General Purpose Committee of the Parliament of the Maldives to approve a budget increment of MVR 4.6 million for staff allowances in the Maldives Parliament.
The parliamentary staff, who play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Majlis, had long awaited an increase in their remuneration. In fact, they hadn't received a salary increment for the past eleven years, which might make it hard to cater to the living expenses and other costs of living that have drastically changed for the worse in the Maldives as well as around the world. Recognizing this dire need for an increase in wages, the General Purpose Committee undertook a review of the parliamentary budget and requested the Secretariat to incorporate an increment in staff salaries.
However, in a strategic move, the Secretariat decided to focus on raising staff allowances rather than increasing their basic salaries. This decision, as explained by Majlis Secretary General Fathimath Niusha, was taken with a view to mitigate the financial burden on the budget. Had they chosen to increase basic salaries, it would have subsequently triggered the need to augment pensions and overtime pay, placing additional pressure on the already tight budget.
The General Purpose Committee, responsible for scrutinizing the parliamentary budget, convened to discuss the proposed increment and its allocation. During the meeting, attendees voted unanimously to approve the budget, thus giving a green light to the MVR 4.6 million increment for staff allowances.
