President Ratifies Law Moving Local Government Authority Staff to Civil Service

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the 18th Amendment to the Decentralisation Act, formally integrating employees of the Local Government Authority (LGA) into the national civil service system. The move is designed to strengthen the administrative framework of the authority and standardize personnel management across local governance. Passed by the Parliament on May 14, 2026, the amendment reclassifies LGA staff as civil servants, meaning they will now be governed by the Civil Service Act. Under the new regulations, the Chief Executive Officer of the LGA will serve as the responsible head for all employee administration matters. To implement this transition, the LGA must develop a new staff structural framework based on the advice of its board. This framework must be submitted to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for approval within 30 days of the act taking effect. Once submitted, the CSC has 15 days to grant approval, after which the National Pay Commission is tasked with finalizing the salary structure for the affected employees within a further 30-day window. Beyond administrative restructuring, the amendment introduces a critical mandate for local governance. Waste management is now formally categorized as a municipal service that local councils are required to provide across all islands and cities in the Maldives. This change clarifies the legal responsibilities of councils in maintaining environmental sanitation and public health. The amendment became effective immediately following its ratification and official publication in the Government Gazette, marking a significant shift in how the Maldives manages the intersection of central civil service standards and local government operations.