Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has expressed concerns over the National Service Programme announced by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, questioning the feasibility of training and sustaining 5,000 new military and police recruits over the next five years. The programme, unveiled during Victory Day celebrations on Sunday, aims to offer young people employment through training as soldiers and police officers.
Under the plan, Muizzu stated that 1,000 new soldiers and 1,000 new police officers would be trained each year throughout his term. This initiative, he said, seeks to provide career paths for youth lacking educational and job opportunities.
Speaking at his Progressive National Front (PNF) office on Monday, Yameen noted that while he does not oppose the increased recruitment, he stressed that individuals selected should be qualified. “People with knowledge and ability should be trained as soldiers and policemen,” Yameen said, highlighting the importance of merit-based recruitment within the Maldives’ security forces.
Yameen also raised concerns regarding the financial implications of the programme, citing a gap in budgetary planning. According to Yameen’s calculations, the salaries for 1,000 recruits, which start at MVR 13,000 per month and increase to MVR 15,500 after training, would amount to an estimated MVR 186 million annually. He suggested this would raise the total budgets for both the army and police to approximately MVR 2 billion each.
“The programme is scheduled to start next year, yet the costs are not mentioned in the budget,” Yameen said, questioning how the government intends to provide housing and other benefits for the proposed new recruits. He also alleged that the decision to increase recruitment numbers was not made in consultation with security officials.
President Muizzu, in his Victory Day address, announced that MVR 400 million would be allocated annually for the National Service Programme, with initial funding planned under the New Policy Initiatives (NPI) in the proposed 2025 budget. The Maldives Government has set a total budget of MVR 56.6 billion for the coming year, with MVR 49.2 billion designated for expenditure.