Around 4,500 Political Positions Created by Government: MDP

The Mohamed Muizzu administration currently employs 4,500 political appointees, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said.

Ibrahim Ameer, Finance Minister during the MDP-led Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration, said at a press conference on Sunday that the figure included politically motivated hires by state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Approximately 2,500 political positions have been added to SOEs, with salary expenditure increasing by at least 15 percent.

“For the first quarter of this year alone, the number of employees have increased by 8 percent… A college in the name of nationalism has been established and 50 consultants have been hired. There are more than 2,000 people for political positions and more than 2,500 people have been hired for companies,” Ameer said.

According to the MDP, the administration’s current salary expenditure is higher than at the end of last year, with the biggest spenders on salaries, in terms of SOEs, being Fenaka Corporation, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), and Maldivian.

The administration has not disclosed the exact number of political appointments.