Finance Ministry has confirmed that the salaries for Police officers had been deposited to their respective accounts, without the pledged increments.

The salaries were deposited at a later date, after Finance Ministry had rejected the pay slips after Police had requested to deposit salaries created under new allowance structures. The Ministry had rejected the slips twice. Ministry officials had requested to send the salary sheets based on the previous allowance structures. When MPS obliged by the request, Finance Ministry had deposited the salaries.

Finance Ministry media official said that salaries had been calculated and deposited based on previous structures. He added that amended allowance structures were now under review by the President’s Office and Ministry. Media official said that the increment amount will be distributed after the review.

Under the new allowance structure, junior field officers earned more than senior officers on desk duties. As per the new structure, a field officer will earn an additional MVR 4000.

This year’s budget had also increased the budgeted amount for Police. Compared to 2016 figures, the budget for this year had been increased by MVR 230 million. Last year the total budget for MPS was MVR 1.103 billion, this year the number is at MVR 1.334 billion.

Police Cooperative Society had initiated a loan scheme to compensate for the delay in salaries for the month. This is the first time such an incident had occurred in the history of the service.