Amid mounting pressure, Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan has announced that civilian police staff are set to receive a salary increase in June. The announcement was made during the ‘Ahaa’ forum in response to public inquiries about wage disparities within the police force. The issue surfaced following a recent 35% pay raise for frontline officers, which included adjustments to basic salary and various allowances, while civilian staff wages remained unchanged.
Minister Ihusaan cited budgetary constraints as the primary obstacle preventing simultaneous salary adjustments for both civilian and frontline officers. He noted, “The salaries of civil staff will remain in the same structure. Hopefully, the change will come in the salaries received in June.” Ihsan emphasised the critical roles both sworn and civilian officers play in the police force, though he acknowledged the greater risks faced by frontline personnel.
Parallel to this issue, Mohamed Nasih, President of the Civil Service Commission, issued a statement highlighting broader inequities within the civil service pay structure. On the occasion of International Workers’ Day and Maldives’ Civil Service Day, Nasih called for urgent salary increases across all civil service sectors. He pointed out that, despite pay advancements in health and education, many other sectors are yet to see similar increases. Nasih stressed that the delay in establishing pay equity is detrimental to recruiting qualified individuals and demotivating to current employees.
Nasih emphasised the need for transparency and adherence to government service charters to enhance the quality and reliability of public services. His call for a comprehensive review of the civil service pay structure underscores a critical need for a systematic approach to address salary disparities and ensure fairness across all sectors.