“Parliament’s 2027 budget doesn’t include salary hikes, new posts”

Ahmed Faiz Mohamed, Head of Administration at the People’s Majlis, said that the projected budget for the administration of the Parliament for the upcoming year will not include any salary increments, additional allowances, or the creation of new positions.

This was disclosed during the General Purpose Committee meeting held on Sunday to deliberate on the proposed budget for the Parliament's administration for the next fiscal year.

According to Faiz, the estimated budget for the People’s Majlis for next year is MVR 227 million, representing a modest increase of approximately MVR 1.5 million compared to the current year's allocation.

"I would like to clarify that our projected budget for the coming year does not incorporate any salary hikes, the creation of new posts, the introduction of new allowances, or any increments to existing ones," he emphasized.

Addressing the committee, Faiz explained that although recurrent operational expenses remain low, the overall budget increase is primarily driven by necessary maintenance costs and the procurement of assets, such as equipment required for parliamentary sessions.

Furthermore, Faiz noted that a project initiated in collaboration with STELCO to establish a backup generator system for the Parliament is currently in the bidding stage at the Ministry of Finance. He explained that a 20 percent advance payment of MVR 5 million is required this year to commence the project, which is a significant factor contributing to the budget increment.

The General Purpose Committee did not reach a final decision on the proposed budget during today’s session. It was decided that further committee meetings would be held to conduct additional debate and research on the proposal.

According to data from the Finance Ministry, a total of MVR 121.7 million has been incurred for the operations of the People’s Majlis so far this year. Last year, the Parliament was allocated a budget of MVR 206 million, of which MVR 205 million was utilized by the end of the fiscal year.

Notably, despite significant state expenditure on recurrent costs, including salaries and benefits, such spending has seen an upward trend in both the current and preceding years compared to prior periods, leading to public and political criticism of the government's fiscal management.