Nihan: No salary hike to anyone without salary hikes to civil servants

Salary of no other government institution can be increased without increasing salaries of civil servants, said PPM Parliamentary Group Leader, Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik on Wednesday.

Nihan made the statement amid allegations by opposition that the amendment to People’s Majlis Guidelines restricting bills regarding expenditure from state budget only to government was an effort to curtain Makunudhoo MP Anara Naeem’s bill to increase benefit to disabled or mentally challenged children to MVR 5,000.

Nihan said that government would not do anything else without increasing salary of civil servants first.

“God willing, this government will not do anything without benefits to civil servants,” he said.

Speaking to Sun Online after end of People’s Majlis session, Nihan said that civil servants were the country’s hardest workers. And that President Abdulla Yameen was working ceaselessly for the benefit of civil servants.

“Even if there’s even a little President Yameen can do, his number one priority will be to provide something more to civil servants,” he said.

Nihan said that it would not be easy for President Yameen to increase salaries – whether it be of judges, cabinet ministers or employees in any other institution without first increasing salary of civil servants.

While Nihan has revealed President Yameen’s desire to increase salary of civil servants; Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has sent a letter to People’s Majlis requesting a salary hike to judges.