The Parliament's Public Finance Committee has approved a salary increase for members of Parliament.
Members of Parliament currently receive a salary of MVR 62,500 and a committee allowance of MVR 20,000, making a total of MVR 82,500. The Speaker receives MVR 73,125 and the Deputy Speaker MVR 71,000 as salary.
After informal meetings held by the Public Finance Committee to review the salaries of Parliamentary posts, Dhaandhoo MP Yauqoob Abdulla submitted a paper on proposed salary changes to the Public Finance Committee. Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa supported the motion. The paper also includes salary increases for the President, Vice-President, Cabinet members, judges, independent institutions, mayors, and councilors.
The Public Finance Committee Tuesday approved a monthly salary of MVR 100,000 per member. With the change, the Speaker will receive a salary of MVR 90,000 and the Deputy-Speaker MVR 88,000.
At the committee, Thimaradushi MP Abdulla Riyaz proposed to approve salary changes for each entity separately. Although Vilifushi MP Hassan Afeef supported the proposal, it did not receive the committee's support. Instead, The committee approved the proposal of MDP Dhidhdhoo MP Abdullah Waheed to vote on the salary increase for all places and posts collectively.
Thimarafushi MP Abdullah Riyaz further proposed that the salaries of MPs be increased from the 20th parliament elected next year. The motion was supported by Fonadhoo MP and PNC Parliamentary Group Leader Moosa Siraj. However, the MDP-majority committee decided that if the salary increase is passed by the Parliament, it will also apply to the existing 19th parliament members.
The only MP who spoke against salary increases at this time was Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb, from the Democrats.
Next year's budget will spend MVR 90 million on these salary increases while a total of MVR 500 million has been included in next year's budget for overall salary increases.
