Professional staff will be exempt from salary cuts: Zameer

Minister of Finance Moosa Zameer has said that staff in the professional category will be exempt from the 10 percent salary cut proposed for State leaders, SOE leaders and political appointees.

Under efforts to reduce State expenditure in light of the difficult economic situation the country is facing, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has last week announced a ten percent deduction from the salaries of political appointees, senior officials of the legislative, judiciary and executive, senior officials on independent institutions, parliament members and employees of SOEs.

In response to a question posed by an MP in yesterday's meeting of the Supplementary Budget Review Committee, Zameer confirmed that professional category staff will be exempt from this deduction.

"Professional categories will be exempt. This is because if we apply it across the board, there are some jobs, such as that of some types of engineers, loss of which will affect the proper running of the company if those filling the posts decide to take up better options elsewhere," Zameer explained.

Zameer's comments come at a time when a number of engineers and pilots have already voiced concerns about the salary cut on social media.

Salary deductions that will be in effect

- 10 percent deduction from salaries of all political appointees

- 10 percent deduction from salaries of staff at all government shareholding companies except for banks. Capping salaries for company management at MVR 90,000

- Proposing a 10 percent deduction from salaries of senior officials at independent institutions

- Proposing a 10 percent deduction from salaries of parliament members and senior officials of the judiciary

The deduction will also not apply to persons receiving salaries below MVR 12,000.

The President also announced that he will forego 50 percent of his own salary.

Following this, Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla also decided to do the same.