Salaries and allowances for political appointees make up nearly 4 percent of the total payroll, according to Finance Minister Moosa Zameer.

The Finance Ministry recently submitted a supplementary budget of MVR 5.1 billion, which will increase the 2024 state budget to MVR 55 billion. While presenting the budget to Parliament on Thursday, Zameer noted that salaries for political appointees account for close to 4 percent of the total payroll.

"We have implemented measures to reduce the government’s administrative expenses, including controls to cut costs on travel and events, and we are seeing results," Zameer said.

On Wednesday, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced plans for a two-year pay cut, starting with the 2025 budget. This includes a 10 percent reduction in the salaries of political appointees, state-owned enterprise employees, heads of independent institutions, and top judicial officials.

Zameer explained that the decision was driven by the need to take all possible measures to restore fiscal sustainability.

“This change is being made to fully engage in efforts to restore fiscal sustainability, and we are committed to taking every possible step, no matter how small,” he said.

The original 2024 state budget, passed last year at MVR 49.8 billion, allocated MVR 11.95 billion for government salaries and allowances. The new supplementary budget adds another MVR 24.4 million, bringing the total salary allocation for this year to MVR 11.98 billion.

Four percent of this budget amounts to MVR 479.2 million, with Zameer noting that the salaries for political appointees fall just below this figure.

The exact number of political appointees remains unclear, as the government has not disclosed this information. However, President Dr Muizzu recently announced that 228 political appointees across various ministries will be dismissed by the end of the month.