Former Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has criticised President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, accusing it of sacrificing government employees to fund the growing number of political appointees. His remarks follow the announcement of salary cuts for political appointees and government-owned company employees as part of the 2025 budget.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday, Ameer claimed the government spends over MVR 50 million per month solely on political employees’ salaries. He argued that even with the proposed 10% salary cut, the state would still pay MVR 45 million each month.
“Contrary to what was promised, political appointees are increasing by thousands, driving up expenses. The government’s financial strategy has failed, and poor management is now negatively impacting the economy,” Ameer stated.
Ameer noted that the Maldives is not facing a global economic crisis, pointing out that there is no pandemic or extraordinary spike in oil prices, which would usually trigger economic distress. He argued that the economic difficulties faced by the Maldives are due to poor management rather than external factors.
“The world is not in a major economic crisis. There is no global pandemic like COVID-19. The price of oil in the market is at an average level,” he said. Ameer also disputed the government’s claim that there are viable options to raise funds to pay off loans, asserting that the country’s monthly revenue should be sufficient to cover its expenses.
His criticism follows President Muizzu’s decision to implement a 10% salary reduction for political appointees and government-owned company employees as part of a two-year economic reform plan aimed at reducing government spending. However, the total number of political appointees in the government has yet to be disclosed.
