Committee to recommend increasing salaries of councilors by 33 percent

Parliament’s Decentralization Committee, on Monday, has decided to recommend increasing the salaries of councilors by 33 percent to the Public Accounts Committee and Budget Committee.

At a meeting of the Decentralization Committee held on Monday, concern was raised over the increase in the salaries of the administrative staff in local councils by 35 percent having matched or exceeded the salaries of local councilors.

The salaries of the administrative staff in local councils were increased on October 1^st.

Decentralization Committee’s Chairperson, Hulhumale’ MP Ali Niyaz argued that the current salary framework of local councilors does not corroborate the new salary framework of the administrative staff in local councils. He went on to describe the policy as nonsensical.

In consideration of this concern, the Committee, at Monday’s meeting, decided to recommend increasing the salaries of council presidents, vice presidents, and members by 33 percent.

With these changes, their salaries will be as follows:

• Council presidents: MVR 25,000
• Council vice presidents: MVR 20,000
• Council members: MVR 18,000

The rates are inclusive of basic salary, living allowance and phone allowance.

The committee will be making this recommendation to the Public Accounts Committee and Budget Committee.