Council salary hike a cover to raise Speaker, ministers’ pay: Gapoo

Hanimaadhoo constituency MP Abdul Gafoor Moosa (Gapoo) said today in a parliamentary debate that the government’s decision to increase councilors’ salaries was aimed at creating unrest and anger among the public. He said the government would soon be forced to come back with a proposal to reduce the salaries again. Speaking during the debate, Gapoo said that increasing councilors’ salaries without a corresponding increase in government grants or aid to councils would hinder island development. He warned that once a large share of council budgets begins going to salaries, no funds would remain for infrastructure development or for the basic services people need. Gapoo alleged that the real purpose of the council salary increase was to pave the way for raising the salaries of the Speaker of Parliament and ministers. He said the councilors’ salary hike was used as a cover to hide the increase in senior government officials’ salaries from public criticism. He also said that despite the government spending heavily from the state budget so far, no visible work had been done for island development. As the budget runs out, no beneficial projects were being carried out, which he described as proof of the government’s lack of sincerity. Given the country’s current economic situation, increasing salaries for political purposes instead of reducing state expenditure was an irresponsible act, the MP said. He added that the burden the decision would place on state finances meant the government would likely have to come back soon with a proposal to lower the salaries.