MP Adam Shareef calls on govt. to cut parliamentarians’ pay

Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef Umar has called on the government to cut the salary paid to parliamentarians and political appointees.

Finance Ministry requested the Parliament on Tuesday for approval to extend the suspension of the implementation of Article 32 (a), (d), and (e) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act for another one-year period starting April 26 next year, allowing the government to continue to overdraw from the public bank accounts.

Joining the debate on Finance Ministry’s request, the opposition PNC’s deputy leader, Adam Shareef said that an extension to the overdraft period will be damaging both to the people and the state.

Adam Shareef said such a decision would further damage the Maldivian economy.

Speaking of the potential damages from an extension to the overdraft period, Adam Shareef said that such a decision would increase the foreign exchange rate and devalue Maldivian currency.

“And the changes that come with this will increase inflation, and increase the burden on the people,” he said.

Adam Shareef said that he fails to understand the reason for such a decision with the Maldivian economy on track to recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that if the government was finding it hard to manage the budget under the current circumstances, they should reduce the number of political appointees and reduce the state’s recurrent expenditure.

He said the government should also cut the salary of parliamentarians.

“Along with this, what we need to do next is to cut the salary of us parliamentarians and the people in top political posts in the government,” he said.

Adam Shareef said he was against granting an extension to the overdraft period, and urged other parliamentarians to reject the request.