Emergency motion over Speaker’s MVR 95K pay hike rejected

An emergency motion submitted by an opposition lawmaker expressing concern over a recent decision by the Public Accounts Committee that will see the pay of Speaker raised to MVR 95,000 has been pushed out of the Parliament.

On Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee approved amendments that will see the monthly pay of the Speaker raised to MVR 95,000, along with increasing the car allowance to cabinet ministers and the salaries of local councilors.

In his motion on Monday, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, a lawmaker from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), expressed concern that the planned pay hikes for public officials come as ordinary citizens struggle with the country’s economic downturn and the rising cost of living.

He also said that the decision come as education and health sector workers continue to be denied fair pay, and with an initiative underway to downsize the workforce at state-owned enterprises by 33 percent.

Mauroof also noted that the decision also comes as state spending continues to exceed the revenue it generates, widening the overall budget deficit to MVR 4.5 billion.

He described the planned pay hikes for public officials under such circumstances as “a grave injustice” towards ordinary citizens.

However, the motion was rejected by Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla, who said it did not fit the criteria for an emergency motion.

He noted that the committee’s decision would be called for a floor debate, and said that an emergency motion therefore cannot be presented to call a debate on a matter before the fact.

The emergency motion came a day after lawmakers from the MDP issued a statement calling on the Public Accounts Committee to reverse its decision, warning the move will add another MVR 40 million to the state’s annual expenditure.

The Speaker currently receives a monthly salary of MVR 73,125, while the Deputy Speaker receives MVR 91,000, and other parliamentarians receive MVR 82,500, including the committee allowance.

This difference in pay is due to the Speaker not being allowed to sit at committees. Parliamentarians who sit at committees receive an allowance of MVR 10,000 if they have an attendance rate of 50-75 percent, and MVR 20,000 if they have an attendance rate of above 75 percent.

The committee therefore decision to introduce a MVR 22,000 allowance for the Speaker, which will raise their monthly pay to MVR 95,125.