MVR 7,000 less for several legal officers despite salary increment; another complaint sent to pay commission

Following the government of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s changes to the salary structure, many legal officers have seen substantial reductions in their pay.

With no response yet to a petition submitted on the issue, another letter has now been sent to the National Pay Commission.

A petition was submitted on 9 November 2025 to 10 institutions, raising concern that legal officers’ salaries and allowances had decreased despite the government’s salary increment.

The petition was signed by 81 employees. It was sent to the President’s Office, the People’s Majlis, parliament’s Finance Committee, Pay Commission, Labor Relations Authority, Local Government Authority, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Civil Service Commission, Bar Council, and the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works.

To date, no response has been received to the petition or to any related correspondence. Citing serious concerns, a letter was sent to the Pay Commission on November 27, calling for an urgent resolution.

A legal officer who spoke to RaajjeMV said salaries had dropped significantly under the revised structure, with reductions of roughly MVR 7,000 to MVR 5,000 from previous take-home pay. The officer said this is affecting their work and noted that salaries have decreased across all three ranks that include legal officers.

The officer also stated that, under the law, salaries must be paid by the salary-paying authority, which is the Civil Service. The National Pay Commission cannot and is not legally permitted to issue salaries, the officer said.

However, the officer added that whenever they contact the Civil Service Commission, they are repeatedly told that salary matters fall under the Pay Commission, an arrangement the officer described as not legally permissible.