The Parliament has passed to empower City Council members as well as to increase the wage and benefits for these members.

The motion was passed with 34 votes at Parliament today. While the empowering of City Councils had been undertaken in accordance with the powers granted to the President, the Parliamentary Financial Committee has approved these changes for City Council members.

The passing of increase in wage and benefits for City Council members had passed shortly after being proposed on the floor.

As such, the Parliamentary Financial Committee has set the wage for Mayor as MVR 30,000 with a living allowance of MVR 10,000.

Additionally, the Deputy Mayor will receive a wage of MVR 27،000 and living allowance of MVR 8000. Parliament also approved the wage of City Council members to be set at MVR 24،000 with living allowance of MVR 6000.

Prior to the change, the mayor received a wage of MVR 15,000 with a living allowance of MVR 3,000 while the deputy mayor earned MVR 12,000 as wage and MVR 2,000 as a living allowance. Members of the City Council previously earned MVR 10,000 as a wage with a living allowance of MVR 1,500.