The government’s aim is to increase employees’ take-home pay, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said.

President Muizzu made the remarks in response to concerns raised by a long-serving IGMH employee about her salary during the “Rayyithunge Adu” programme, which allows people to raise concerns and complaints directly with the president.

The employee said some workers have less money to take home than they did before the introduction of the National Pay Harmonization Framework.

In response, President Muizzu said he had promised that no government employee would receive less pay as a result of the new pay framework. He said he had instructed the Pay Commission to ensure that no employee takes home less than they did previously.

“I want all employees to take home more than before. That’s the main objective. That’s the promise. For those employees for whom that is not the case, I’m going to solve this for them,” he said.

The latest official salary increase for civil service employees took effect in November last year under the National Pay Harmonization Framework.

The changes increased salaries for civil service, judicial and local council employees.

Salaries for education employees in the civil service were previously increased in May 2022, while health sector salaries were increased in May 2023.