North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu) has proposed a salary increment for local council presidents and members. 

MP Ibrahim sent a letter proposing the salary raise to Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla on May 11. In the letter, he appeals for the matter to be taken under consideration by the relevant parliamentary committee. 

He also outlined proposed changes to salary in the letter. Proposed monthly salaries are: 

Ibrahim said that he had proposed the raise as, at present, some council administrative staff have salaries higher than that of councilors. He noted that the Secretary General's pay is higher than that of the Council President, and Council Executive's salary is higher than that of Council Vice Presidents. He added that some administrative staff at councils are also paid more than council members. 

Ibrahim said paying elected council members less than administrative staff results in creating the perception that they hold an inferior position. 

This directly undermines the authority of elected officials, and create obstacles in delegating tasks to administrative staff, he noted. 

The National Pay Commission, meanwhile, has announced major changes to the salaries of Women's Development Committee (WDC) Presidents in cities and islands. 

WDC presidents in cities currently receive MVR 7000 as monthly salary, while vice presidents receive MVR 6,500 and members, MVR 6,000.

In islands, WDC presidents receive MVR 6,000 as monthly salary, while vice presidents receive MVR 5,500 and members, MVR 5000. 

The Pay Commission reconsidered this figures citing WDCs are now considered to be working full-time. Following this, the Pay Commission has now decided to raise monthly pay of WDC Presidents in cities to MVR 41,500, and of those in islands to MVR 21,000. 

This breaks down as: