MVR 4.5 million has been proposed for 2025 for the expenses of the official residence of the Speaker of the Parliament.

The parliament administration has submitted it to the General Committee of Parliament.

Presenting the budget at the General Committee meeting yesterday, the parliament administration said it had spent on the official residence of the Speaker earlier last year but since the last Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammed Aslam, had not moved into the residence, there were no expenses incurred during the last half of the year.

MVR 4.5 million has been proposed for the Speaker's official residence next year, including the expenses of the staff.

The General Committee meeting held on July 24 made changes to some of the positions at the residence following a request by the incumbent Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdullah.

The committee chairman, MP Mohammed Shahid, said the parliament administration had sent a letter to the committee informing them that the speaker wanted to make changes in some positions in the official residence before staffing the residence.

In the letter, he changed the name of one post in the residence, abolished four posts and sent the committee a request for permission to create four posts in their place. He said the details are included in the letter. However, he did not give the details.

Eight members of the committee voted to approve the changes.

The Muraidhoo residence was reserved by the state for the residence of the Speakers of Parliament for security reasons after the May 6, 2021 assassination attempt on the then Speaker of Parliament, Mohammed Nasheed.

Nasheed lived in the residence, but the subsequent Speaker of Parliament, MP Mohammed Aslam, did not visit the house.