Parliament Approves Pay Hikes for Top Officials and Councillors Despite Fiscal Outcry

The People’s Majlis has voted to approve substantial salary and allowance hikes for the Speaker of Parliament, cabinet ministers, the Chief Justice, and local councillors nationwide, pushing through the contentious revisions despite sharp opposition over fiscal discipline and controversial state megaprojects.

The floor vote on remuneration for the Speaker and cabinet ministers carried with 42 members in favour and 12 against. A separate ballot endorsing the salary increase for the Chief Justice passed with 40 votes in favour and 12 against.

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Under the approved revisions, the monthly take-home pay of Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla increases from MVR 73,000 to MVR 95,125 through the introduction of a fixed MVR 22,000 special allowance. The car allowance for cabinet ministers has more than doubled, jumping from MVR 7,500 to MVR 17,500 per month.

Effective immediately, the gross monthly earnings of Chief Justice Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed have risen from MVR 91,000 to MVR 95,125 via a new MVR 4,125 special allowance, restoring parity between the heads of the legislative and judicial branches.

In addition to senior state leadership, the legislature approved a new MVR 5,000 monthly service allowance for all local council leaders across the country. 

Following this adjustment, monthly earnings for island council presidents will increase from MVR 25,500 to MVR 30,500, vice presidents will see an increase to MVR 25,000, and island councillors will rise from MVR 18,000 to MVR 23,000.

The passage of the remuneration package follows a contentious parliamentary session earlier this week, when Speaker Abdul Raheem dismissed an emergency motion protesting the impending hikes without putting it to a floor vote.

The emergency motion, tabled by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mauroof Zakir, sought an immediate floor debate on the Public Accounts Committee’s initial recommendations. Abdul Raheem rejected the motion, ruling that under parliamentary standing orders, an emergency motion cannot anticipate debate on a matter already slated to come before the floor through formal committee reports.

The opposition’s rejected motion argued that raising senior state remuneration was indefensible during an ongoing economic downturn. 

It highlighted that state expenditure has outpaced government revenue by MVR 4.5 billion this year, and that the Ministry of Finance has instructed the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) to slash state-owned enterprise (SOE) headcounts by 33 per cent to curb public debt. The motion also cited unresolved pay harmonisation pledges for civil servants, healthcare workers, and teachers.

During floor exchanges, Galolhu South MP Meekail Naseem condemned the ruling party’s legislative priorities, arguing that pushing through ministerial and executive allowances was unconscionable while the public confronts severe shortages of essential prescription medicines.

The vote also coincides with escalating public scrutiny surrounding government plans to award 50 per cent of the reclaimed Rasmale’ development to UAE-based developer Eagle Hills. Opposition figures have alleged that the leadership pay adjustments were enacted swiftly to ensure senior heads across the branches of state do not challenge the controversial concession.