President Muizzu Vows to Resolve Civil Service Salary Discrepancies This Month

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that salary discrepancies resulting from the National Pay Commission’s pay harmonisation initiative will be corrected within this month. Speaking during a press briefing at the President’s Office, the Head of State addressed gaps in the system that left certain employees without the expected financial adjustments. The President revealed that the pay harmonisation process failed to benefit specific civil service employees, particularly those within the legal and human resources sectors, as well as individuals holding certain council positions. Instead of receiving the intended salary increases, the remuneration for these officials remained stagnant, creating a disparity in the government's effort to standardise pay across the public sector. According to President Muizzu, the Pay Commission has provided assurances that these errors will be rectified starting from May. He further committed that the Commission would continue to review and resolve any similar anomalies that may arise as the harmonisation process continues to be implemented across the administration. Shifting focus to national security and labor regulation, the President also updated the public on the progress of “Operation Kurangi,” the administration’s flagship campaign to address the challenge of undocumented expatriates. He clarified that the operation is not a punitive measure but a safety initiative designed to protect foreign workers through proper identification, documentation, and accountability. President Muizzu noted that previous administrations neglected the issue of expatriate documentation, leaving many workers vulnerable to exploitation. The current administration has made significant strides in this area, with 98 percent of expatriates in the Maldives now documented. This progress is supported by the collection of fingerprint records and photo-based biometric data to ensure a transparent and regularised workforce. Despite the progress, the President emphasized that undocumented expatriates remain a serious concern for the state. He reaffirmed that his administration is committed to implementing a comprehensive and lasting solution to ensure all foreign workers are legally accounted for within the country.