Committee decides against salary cuts for judiciary, independent bodies

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has decided to advise President Dr Mohamed Muizzu against his decision to cut the salaries of employees in independent institutions and the judiciary by 10 percent, despite the government's economic reform agenda including the salary cuts.

The motion to advise the President against the decision was passed unanimously by the nine members present at today’s meeting.

The proposed salary cuts were part of the government's economic reform agenda to reduce state expenditure, which also included a 10 percent reduction in salaries for state-owned enterprises, political posts, heads of the three government branches, independent institutions, and members of Parliament, upon parliament approval.

However, PNC MP Mohamed Mamdhooh, who submitted the matter to the committee, stated that the necessary legal amendments would need to be made before such salary reductions could be implemented.

In October last year, President Muizzu had decided to cut salaries by 10 percent across various sectors, including state-owned enterprises and government officials, for two years. Additionally, the President decided to forgo 50 percent of his own salary, leaving him with MVR 50,000.

The Privatization and Corporatization Board also imposed a salary cap for company executives, limiting their total salary and allowances to MVR 90,000 for the next two years.

Mamdhooh said that it is the committee’s responsibility to maintain consistency in salaries for similar posts by making the necessary changes to the relevant laws. He noted that implementing salary cuts without such legal changes would not be fair or just. Therefore, the committee has recommended that the President amend the laws before proceeding with the proposed reductions.

Mamdhooh also suggested that merging independent institutions like the Media Council and the Broadcasting Commission could help reduce costs by streamlining operations. He urged identifying agencies that could be merged and expediting legal action to facilitate these changes.

The motion was supported by MDP Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo).