Committee Proposes 33 Percent Salary Increase for Councilors

Parliament’s Decentralisation Committee convened to deliberate on a proposal advocating a 33 percent increase in the salaries of councilors, yesterday.

The committee is set to present this recommendation to both the Public Accounts Committee and the Budget Committee for further consideration.

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During the committee meeting, concerns were voiced regarding the recent 35 percent salary hike for administrative staff in local councils, which resulted in their salaries either matching or surpassing those of local councilors. This increase for administrative staff took effect on October 1st.

Chairing the Decentralization Committee, Hulhumale’ MP Ali Niyaz expressed reservations about the existing salary structure for local councilors, asserting that it fails to align with the updated framework for the administrative staff. Niyaz characterised the current policy as nonsensical.

In response to these concerns, the committee decided, during Monday’s meeting, to propose a 33 percent salary increase for council presidents, vice presidents, and members. 

In response, the committee proposed revised salaries, including basic salary, living allowance, and phone allowance, as follows: MVR 25,000 for council presidents, MVR 20,000 for council vice presidents, and MVR 18,000 for council members.

This recommendation will be formally submitted to the Public Accounts Committee and the Budget Committee for their deliberation.