205 Political Appointees Dismissed as Government Expands Expenditure Cuts Across Ministries, SOEs
Shareef noted that the downsizing process remains ongoing and that further dismissals are expected.
The government has so far dismissed 205 political appointees in an effort to streamline downsize state employees, President’s Office Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef has said.
Speaking to state media, the spokesperson stated that those removed held positions across four tiers: State Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Senior Political Directors, and Political Directors.
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He noted that the downsizing process remains ongoing and that further dismissals are expected. Beyond central government institutions, efforts are also underway to reduce political appointees within State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
The spokesperson added that once SOE restructuring is complete, the total number of political redundancies will exceed the number of individuals hired by the current administration.
President Muizzu previously pledged to cap political appointments at 700, though estimates early this year suggest the actual figure reached into the thousands. In response, the administration initiated structural reforms, including performance-based streamlining and a review of cabinet-level positions. These actions follow a Finance Ministry directive instructing the Privatisation and Corporatisation Board (PCB) to implement a 33% workforce reduction across SOEs.
Despite these recent reduction measures, payroll and allowance expenditures for political appointees continue to represent a significant component of state spending.
