Leader of the ruling coalition's main party PNC's parliamentary group and Fonadhoo MP Moosa Siraj has said that he is in favour of abolishing the financial benefits given to lawmakers.

While the number of MPs has been increasing with each term, there has been widespread criticism from the public over the increasing state's budgetary allocation to provide financial incentives to them.

Following this, a proposal has been made in parliament in different sessions to waive these benefits.

The last proposal to cut these benefits was made in the current 19th Parliament.

In 2022, the then Villimale' MP and current Attorney General Ahmed Usham had moved an amendment to the Privileges and Powers Act, 2022.

He proposed that Section 8 of the Privileges and Powers of Parliament Act be dropped.

The article says that the state should pay 30 per cent of the salary to a member who has served one term in parliament as financial incentives, and 45 per cent of the salary to a member of parliament who has served two terms should be given medical treatment under a health insurance scheme similar to that available to mps and every person should be provided an official passport. it was also said.

Introducing the bill in the Assembly, Usham said that the 'Privileges and Powers of Parliament Act' provides for huge service benefits from the state to a person who has been a member of parliament for one term and these benefits do not match those who have served the state for 30-20 years.

However, of the 42 members present at the time, only five voted to accept the bill. 31 members voted to reject the bill, and only 19 members wanted the bill to be accepted.