The Standing Committee of the Parliament has decided to propose that the Public Finance Committee cancel the living allowance of MVR20,000 (US$1,297) paid to MPs, recommending that the amount be added to their basic salary instead.
MPs currently receive a basic salary of MVR42,500 (US$2,756) and a living allowance of MVR20,000 (US$1,297). They also receive an additional allowance of MVR20,000 (US$1,297) for attending committee meetings, although some MPs have declined from taking it. The total average monthly earnings for an MP comes to MVR 82,500 (US$5,350).
Chair of the Standing Committee, Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem stated, “Article 102 of the Constitutions says that the parliament can decide on these salaries. That is why the committee is making this recommendation to the Public Finance Committee.”
Article 102 of the Constitution states: “The president, vice president, members of the Cabinet, members of the People’s Majlis, including the speaker and deputy speaker, members of the judiciary, and members of the independent commissions and independent offices shall be paid such salary and allowances as determined by the People’s Majlis.
Abdul Raheem further stated that although the basic salary would then increase to MVR62,500 (US$4,053), the take-home pay would be less than that for an average MP.
“An MP will be getting a take-home pay of MVR58,135 (US$3,770), while the Deputy Speaker will get MVR71,000 (US$4,604) and the Speaker will get MVR73,150 (US$4,744). An MP’s pay has to be equal to that of a High Court judge, while the deputy speaker’s salary is equivalent to the pay of a Supreme Court judge. The Speaker will be paid at the same level as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,” Abdul Raheem explained.
“We have not really increased our salaries. We are just streamlining decisions on the matter which have been previously made in parliament. We will not be taking a penny more than now. It is only the salary structure that we are altering.”
When asked about the impacts the change in amount of the basic salary would have on pensions, Abdul Raheem responded saying “No change will come to it at all. Yes, the living allowance will be merged and made as part of the basic salary. However, the pensionable pay will remain at MVR42,500.”
Meanwhile Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom told Minivan News today that he personally did not support the living allowance amendment.
“The public is often concerned about MPs’ salaries and privileges. I don’t think the parliament should be so often adjusting our pay in this manner. DRP always gives its members a free whip as far as MP’s privileges are concerned, so I can confidently say that I will not support this change,” he said.
Mausoom added that if the living allowance was merged with the basic salary, one notable impact would be that the take-home salary of an MP would be somewhat decreased.
“Seven percent of basic pay is deducted as pension, and then the state matches it with an equal part. If the living allowance is included in the basic pay, it would then become part of the pensionable wage.”
“It’s not about whether the pay is going higher or lower. I don’t think we should keep on adjusting our pay up or down,” Mausoom said.
Minivan News tried contacting MP Ahmed Nazim and MP Ahmed Amir. Both members were not responding to calls at the time of press.
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very nice. standing comitee get more money. They think we are big bloody fools. The mothEr F$%*ing leeches did this to get extra pension from state bujet.
oh! yes the pensions would remain the same my foot! & my name is Alice in Wonderland
At least be honest about it. But no they have to insult the intelligence of those who elected these freaks (not all but most of these rotten eggs)
@rasheed
on this I'm fully in agreement - leeches indeed!
The dunb struck citizens of this bloody nation still wont say anything. nor act. what is the basic salary of maldives? less than 500 USd per head. and these fockers get 5000++USD for attending 10 days a month or if they decide not to; meetings. with 90% of them doing local business and earning through foreign resources. the sea of maldives being devided between jasim, jausa, chasrandey, etc etc...they have been looting and will loot the country. we will sit here on our big fat arses farting and complaining...unable to do anything other than talk and write on such web pages. how worse are we from syria? how much more blind can we get?
Please, do not seek to be loved, but seek to love. Do not seek your own power and wealth, but seek the wealth and power of the poor. This is the path of true treasure, the treasure of caring.
Greed, hunger for prestige, hunger for power at any cost- the poison of power lust has degraded Maldivian humanity for long enough. Worse, it has eaten away the soul of the whole country. They may gain power, their vengeance, their prestige, but they are emptying their souls of meaning, fulfillment. The more they gain, the more bitter they will become. Bitter because, they are destroying their own capacity to truly care. The only antidote to this existential sickness is an injection of intense, self sacrificial caring for others.
The greatest leaders in history found their true selves through their abandon of self for others - they were moved by a caring so intense it gave them the capacity for suffering and at times even dying for the well-being of others. Yet in losing their shallow, egotistical life they found their true life, we are not who we are most capable of being until we live for humanity.
This life of love, which involves many things, is a battle, a painful battle for social justice, and it requires forgiveness as well.
Most reject this path as they know it MAY lead to the pain of being taken advantage of and exploited at times. It does lead to that pain at times, it does hurt. Yet it is less painful than the eventual consequence of living for complete selfishness, out of spite, greed, and fear. The selfish are often seen as heroes because they can be ruthless. Yet the more ruthless they are, the more afraid they truly are.
This life of self sacrificial love will sting, it will lead to periods of vulnerability to exploitation and hurt, and it will cause you to be used and wounded at times, compassion is taken advantage of and abused, exploited, in this world. You get smart, though, and learn to love with wisdom and justice as well.
However, as painful as the path of love for others is, it is the richest fulfillment of feeling - of soul - in the end.
Only THIS culture of true caring, can make a society ready to sustain democracy. It cannot be realized top down, as from a position of power it cannot be implemented due to the fact that an executive cannot sustain order but through tyranny and corruption if the people will refrain from corruption and violence through means other than fear.
slight correction of last sentence:
It, a democratic culture, cannot be realized top down, as from a position of power it cannot be implemented due to the fact that an executive cannot sustain order but through tyranny and corruption if the people will not refrain from corruption and violence through means other than fear and tyranny.
Come on guys, don't blame them. We elected them to represent us. We gave them the power of attorney.
We elected MAG for 30 years in a row. We developed the constitution to overthrow MAG at any cost. At any cost! We did not bother reading the new constitution, as long as it toppled MAG from his thrown.
The new constitution allows the power they are wielding now. They can increase their salary two fold in a day. There is absolutely NOTHING we can do.
We have shot ourselves in the foot. So, take the medicine of our actions now.
Knowing Maldivians, or I guess Maldesh now, the likes of child molestation, the likes of 'all-knowing' politicians, the likes of slavery, the likes of racism, the likes of unashamed - prostitution and corruption, it is no wonder the parliamentarians just drool over their new found mint machines.
This will increase their pay, as all the allowances in the privilege bill will be calculated as a percentage of the basic salary.
We must not let this happen.
ChasRandey??
That fits the effeminate crooked DRP leader perfectly!
Chas Randu indeed!!!