City councilors to be awarded a salary increment

Public Finance Committee of the Parliament has made the decision to increase the remuneration of city councilors.

The decision was made by the Public Finance Committee during its meeting last Monday.

The proposal to increase the remuneration of city councilors was made by North Fuvahmulah MP Ali Shah. The proposal was seconded by North Kulhudhuffushi MP Abdul Gafoor Moosa, and passed with the unanimous consensus of the four committee members in attendance at the meeting.

The decision increases the monthly remuneration package of a mayor of a city council to MVR 40,000, with MVR 30,000 as basic salary and MVR 10,000 as living allowance.

The monthly remuneration of a deputy mayor will rise to MVR 35,000 with MVR 27,000 as basic salary and MVR 8,000 as living allowance.

Other city councilors will receive MVR 30,000 per month with MVR 24,000 as basic salary and MVR 6,000 as living allowance.

The remuneration of all city councilors also includes an insurance package.

The bulk of works carried out by city councils were reassigned to the Ministry of Housing in 2015, and the Parliament, following the decision, cut down the remuneration of mayors to MVR 18,000, remuneration of deputy mayors to MVR 14,000 and remuneration of other city councilors to MVR 11,500.

Mayors had received MVR 45,000, deputy mayors MVR 35,000 and other city councilors MVR 25,000 prior to the 2015 decision by the Parliament.

The current administration, which champions the policy of decentralization, has begun restoring powers to city councils and local councils. It has also promised to amend the Decentralization Act to further empower councils.