"It is inconsistent to freeze recruitment at local councils while simultaneously paying high salaries to political appointees"

Ali Shaufaan, Vice President of the Baa Atoll Fehendhoo Council, has strongly criticized the government's decision to require local councils to obtain permission from the Local Government Authority (LGA) before hiring new staff, a move implemented under the guise of reducing state expenditure.

Speaking on RaajjeTV's "Fashaairu" program, Shaufaan stated that he does not believe these measures are being implemented with a genuine intention to reduce expenses.

Shaufaan stated that when the council attempted to advertise for a maintenance worker for the Fehendhoo mosque, they discovered that the government had revised its regulations, now requiring councils to obtain Local Government Authority (LGA) approval before hiring any staff. However, he noted that the government seemingly has no issue maintaining political appointees on high salaries of 25,000 Rufiyaa. Consequently, he remarked that it is difficult to believe these restrictive measures are being implemented due to a genuine lack of funds.

Furthermore, Shaufaan noted that councils pay their employees' salaries through the block grant budget allocated to them by the government. He stated that the government is legally mandated to provide this budget to the councils, regardless of whether they hire new staff.

Shaufaan stated that the claim of freezing council recruitments as a cost-cutting measure is entirely illogical.

Highlighting another potential motive behind the government's decision, Shaufaan suggested that this move could be aimed at preventing local councils from hiring individuals who have been dismissed from State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). He further noted that the government is implementing such measures in a manner that contradicts the spirit of the decentralization system.