The People’s Majlis Public Accounts Committee has unanimously approved a salary increase for the Chief Justice of the Maldives, raising the position's total monthly remuneration to MVR 95,125 to match that of the Speaker of Parliament. The committee decided on the adjustment after noting that the head of the judiciary was earning less than the legislative leader following recent revisions to state compensation structures.
The motion was proposed during a committee meeting by Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh, who highlighted that the Chief Justice currently receives a combined monthly salary and allowance package of MVR 91,000. To resolve the disparity and align the judiciary’s top post with the Speaker's revised pay scale, Mamdhooh submitted an amendment granting an additional special allowance of MVR 4,125, which was endorsed unanimously by all members in attendance.
The adjustment follows a decision made by the committee last week to increase the Speaker’s monthly compensation to MVR 95,000. The Speaker was previously entitled to MVR 73,000 per month, an amount that lawmakers recognised had fallen below the total earnings of the Deputy Speaker and regular Members of Parliament once committee allowances and additional perks were factored in.
In addition to revising judicial pay, the Public Accounts Committee also approved an increase in the remuneration package for cabinet ministers, raising their total monthly pay to MVR 75,000. Cabinet ministers previously drew MVR 58,500 per month; the new adjustment introduces an additional MVR 17,000 to cover official transport and support staff costs, comprising MVR 2,000 for petrol, MVR 12,000 for driver wages, and MVR 3,000 for driver living expenses.
The series of revisions passed by the committee also included a salary increase for island councillors across the country, as part of an effort by lawmakers to address salary disparities across various tiers of government leadership and elected officials.