Maldives Customs Plans Salary Increase Within MVR 270 Million Budget Limit

Maldives Customs has announced plans to increase employee salaries next year, while remaining within the government’s proposed salary expenditure ceiling of MVR 270 million.

During ongoing budget discussions, Commissioner General Fathimath Dhiyana said the Finance Ministry allocated MVR 270 million for staff salaries and MVR 46 million for office operations, bringing the total budget to MVR 316 million, excluding Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) projects.

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Dhiyana explained that the Finance Ministry submitted a budget of MVR 297 million, which is MVR 19 million less than Customs’ initial request. She said discussions are in progress with the ministry to secure additional resources, including a container scanner project that began last year.

Finance Minister Moosa Zameer has assured that Customs staff salaries will be raised next year. Chief Superintendent Abdullah Ali, who oversees the agency’s budget, stated that the salary increase is being advanced as part of the national pay harmonisation framework, which is expected to be fully implemented by 2026.

He noted that the harmonisation process is moving swiftly and that Customs has received assurances of a salary revision by 2026. He also highlighted that 27 items are being procured for the container scanner project, which is expected to strengthen revenue collection by reducing smuggling activities.

Dhiyana said new sections have been established at Customs headquarters to enhance surveillance and control operations. With sufficient staffing and resources, she added, container management and scanning processes will become more efficient.

Abdullah further noted that the salary structure for Customs employees has remained unchanged for the past 13 years. He estimated that an additional MVR 73 million will be required to cover salaries for 270 staff next year.