Decision made to reduce salaries for Council Secretary Generals and Permanent Secretaries

A decision has been made to reduce the salaries and allowances of Council Secretary Generals and Permanent Secretaries.

Following the changes introduced by the National Pay Commission, Civil Service Commission Secretary General Abdulla Saeed has issued a formal directive to permanent secretaries and heads of local councils to implement the new regulations effective August 1.

Under the new framework, the salary for Secretary Generals (SGs) of island councils has been reduced from MVR 32,000 to MVR 17,000, marking a significant decrease of MVR 15,000. Similarly, the salary for SGs of city councils has been adjusted from MVR 53,000 to MVR 47,000. Furthermore, the remuneration for Permanent Secretaries has also been revised downward from MVR 53,000 to MVR 47,000.

This decision has sparked significant concern among council employees. Many critics allege that this move highlights the government's failure to effectively manage the national economy. Furthermore, many view such a drastic change to the salaries of staff leading the administrative operations of councils as a major setback in the efforts to strengthen local governance.

Controversy has intensified over the Muizzu administration’s decision to terminate junior-level staff at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the guise of reducing government expenditure. In addition to a decision to downsize the workforce of these companies by 33 percent, the government has introduced a voluntary redundancy scheme offering four months' salary. However, reports have emerged suggesting that some employees are being pressured into accepting these buyouts.