An announcement by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) of the country has disproved the claims of salary hikes for civil servants.

While the state had included MVR 234 million as increments to salaries, the President Abdullah Yameen back in November had claimed that at the very least, civil service staff will have a salary increment of at least 37 percent.

However, the announcement only increased salaries for the higher ranked staff.

The CSC announcement said that individuals at Director level and above, gained an increment of MVR 1,500. Lower ranked staff only gained MVR 700.

While the Government claimed a salary increment would be given, this was also another attempt to hoodwink the public. A salary increment is an increase to basic salaries, which would in turn increase allowances based on salaries. However, the Govenrment had broight in a fixed allowance.

No salary increments had been granted for civil servants for the past eight years, with no bonuses awarded from 2015 onward. CSC notes that due to low salaries and perks as key reasons for civil servants to shift to other jobs, especially to the private sector.