Parliament Accuses Muizzu of Misrepresentation Regarding Local Council Staff Salaries
Photo: People’s Majlis
The Parliament has levelled accusations against President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, asserting that his recent statements regarding the authority to increase salaries for administrative staff employed in local councils are misleading.
The controversy stemmed from Muizzu’s interaction with Moosa Sabir, an administrative staff member from M. Naalafushi, during an episode of the ‘Raees ge Javaabu’ series earlier this month. Responding to Sabir’s query about salary increments for administrative staff in the civil service, the President acknowledged the issue of low salaries among local council administrative staff.
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However, Muizzu indicated that only the parliament possessed the authority to address this matter, citing the categorization of council staff salaries into a low tier by the parliament.
Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem, presiding over Monday’s parliamentary session, contradicted the President’s claims. Saleem clarified that under Article 127 (a) of the Decentralization Act, the Civil Service Act and regulations formulated by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) are applicable to council administrative staff.
According to Saleem, this entails that salaries and allowances for council administrative staff are determined in alignment with those of civil servants. He elaborated that the CSC, with recommendations from the Finance Ministry as per the Civil Service Act, sets the salaries and allowances for council administrative staff.
Saleem emphasised that there is no immediate necessity for parliamentary intervention to revise the salaries and allowances of council administrative staff, given the existing regulatory framework.
President Muizzu, reiterating his stance during his exchange with Sabir, maintained that any salary adjustments would require parliamentary action. He highlighted the need for concerted efforts within the parliament to address the issue effectively.
The dispute underscores the complexity surrounding the determination of salaries for local council administrative staff and highlights the differing interpretations of legislative authority in this regard.
