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Ministers' pay - A Well-guarded Secret of the Maumoon Government.

By Leafy Green - Thursday, September 9th 2004

Minister's salary is one of the best-kept secrets of the Maumoon's government. For over 10 years nobody, except a very few at the President's Office and the Ministry of Finance know how much is being paid out to the government's elite, the ministers. While they attend and sign registers at their respective offices one wonders why they cannot be paid from their places of work rather than the President's Office. The truth behind their well-guarded and secretive pay lies the hefty figure they are monthly handed over by the highest office of the country. While the average government worker is paid out a meagre Rf. 1900, the ministers continue to be paid anything between Rf. 30,000 to 50,000. From time to time, when the regime becomes "generous" enough to raise government employees salary the ministers receive a huge increase. That's not only the end of the story! What are the other perks they obtain. These perks are a salary for their wives (another unknown commodity - thought, between Rf 10, 000 to 12,000), an allowance for ministers' wives wardrobes for important national occasions like the Independence and Republic days, plus house watcher salaries plus chauffeur salaries! In other words as we Maldivians say, "KOTHTHU, BOAFEN DHARU" - "food, drinking water and fuel". What a sickening lot on account of poor Maldivians!

Let us also examine what the immediate juniors to the ministers are paid. Yes, deputy ministers. They are only paid Rf. 6000, while they do all the routine household chores at the Ministries while the ministers leisurely attend meetings here and there or sometimes are simply "missing in action". The Ministers also feel they are not equally paid as they have a separate book for each one to sign when the wage is given out. Hence, any minister knows what he or she is paid but NOT other. What an effective way of keeping secrets of a corrupt and unfair regime! It seems some ministers are paid overtime, NOT the others.

Next in line is the pay of the senior officers of the NSS! They seem to be paid anything between Rf. 20,000 to 40,000. Their perks are whatever they want, in short. Another well-kept secret. Our beloved President certainly knows some scale of fairness and equality. In short, huge sums of the government revenue is being grossly spent to keep his ministers and the senior NSS officers happy. Cheers, Well done, Mr. President.