Two advisors have been appointed to the Ministry of Finance: Ahmed Munawar, former finance and treasury minister, and Ahmed Naseer, former governor of the central bank. Their appointments were made at the ministerial level, the President’s Office confirmed.
These appointments augment the leadership within the finance ministry, bringing the total number of ministerial-level positions at the ministry to three. This development positions the finance ministry as the department with the most ministerial-level appointments. Furthermore, these appointments increased the total tally of ministerial-level appointments made by President Mohamed Muizzu, excluding his cabinet, to 21.
Ahmed Munawar, who served as the finance minister under the administration of former President Abdul Yameen Abdul Gayoom, brings a wealth of experience to his advisory role. His tenure as finance minister spanned from 22 June 2016 until the conclusion of Yameen’s term on 17 November 2018.
Ahmed Naseer was appointed the governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority on 24 August 2017 and served until 24 July 2019. His resignation followed allegations by Abdulla Ashraf, the former head of MMA’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and subsequent investigations by the Parliament Public Accounts Committee.
In response to the allegations, which involved a report submitted to the police by the FIU regarding a substantial deposit into Yameen’s account prior to the 2018 presidential elections, Naseer maintains his innocence.
In addition to his 22-minister cabinet, Muizzu has appointed 21 individuals to ministerial-level positions. Two of these appointments, made without remuneration, are advisors to Muizzu: Mohamed Ali Janah, serving as the Principal Advisor to the President on Trade and Investment, and Mohamed Khaleel, serving as the Advisor to the President on Tourism Development.