Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Hassan Zareer has revealed that the current administration established five new state-owned companies, which increased SOE employee numbers by 156 only.

Responding to a parliamentary question on staffing at newly established companies, Minister Zareer said the five companies have a combined 889 employees.

The companies are Maldives Fisheries and Ocean Resource Marketing and Promotion Corporation, State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Corporation, Infrastructure Development Solutions Company, Maldives Economic Gateway Development and Development Bank of Maldives.

The minister said the five companies added just 156 employees. However, 733 employees working in the pharmaceutical and medical supplies division of State Trading Organisation (STO) were transferred to State Pharma, bringing the total workforce to 889.