Zameer: Political salaries cut by 10 percent, no plans for increases

Finance Minister Moosa Zameer confirmed Wednesday that the government has implemented a 10 percent salary reduction for political appointees since last year, with no plans for future increases.

While President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu initially pledged to cap the number of political employees at 700, current figures have reportedly reached into the thousands. Following recent electoral shifts, the administration has initiated structural changes, including cabinet downsizing and a review of political roles to reduce state liabilities.

Last Monday, the President announced a decision to streamline political staff based on performance, though a specific target for layoffs has not yet been disclosed. This follows a Finance Ministry directive to the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) to reduce the workforce in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by 33 percent.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Minister Zameer noted that the PCB is actively monitoring these staff reductions within state companies. Regarding political appointees, the Minister clarified that their compensation accounts for 0.9 percent of total government expenditure.

"Less than one percent of the budget is spent on political staff. If you look at the monthly wage bill of the entire state, the total payroll, it is equivalent to approximately 3.9 percent," Zameer explained.

The Minister emphasized that political salaries were excluded from the recent "pay harmonization" process that saw increases in other sectors. 

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“In fact, from January 2025 onwards, the salary will be reduced by 10 percent,” Minister Zameer added, referencing the ongoing fiscal measures.

While the government has yet to release the exact number of active political appointees, Zameer assured that details regarding ongoing layoffs would be made public once finalized.

The President previously stated that future recruitment for state companies must be conducted through public announcements rather than political appointments. However, he maintained that the authority to appoint staff to ministries under Article 115 of the Constitution remains, asserting that such appointments will be limited to cases of necessity based on education and experience.

The lack of transparency regarding the total number of political staff remains a point of contention. Last year, the Finance Ministry informed MDP legal team member Ahmed Easa that specific expenditure and headcount data are maintained individually by the respective ministries and agencies, rather than a centralized ledger.