Speaker's Salary Less Than Deputy Speaker's, PNC MP Falah Says

People's National Congress (PNC) Parliamentary Group Leader and Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah has stated that the salary of the Speaker of Parliament is less than that of the Deputy Speaker. Speaking during the debate on a bill to amend the Goods and Services Tax law, Falah attributed the discrepancy to the fact that the Speaker previously only received a salary and no committee allowance. He noted that the lack of committee allowance results in the Speaker's salary being lower than the Deputy Speaker's. Falah questioned why there should be a difference in salary between the person who serves as the head of the institution that upholds justice and the head of the lawmaking parliament. He also remarked that this issue has been discussed in previous parliaments and that the change was made to balance the three powers of the state. In addition, Falah commented on ministerial allowances, stating that ministers currently only receive a vehicle allowance. He noted that the 7,000 rufiyaa allocated for fuel is insufficient to cover driver and fuel costs, and suggested the allowance should be increased to 17,000 rufiyaa.