Malé, Maldives – The minimum wage determination has been rescheduled again, with the target date set for 10 October 2021.
Speaking to local news Dhauru, the Chairman of the Wage Advisory board and Deputy Economic Minister Riyaz Mansoor today said that the board has never set a specific date for wage determination.
Riyaz further added that it is misinformation that the Wage Advisory Board had previously scheduled meetings to decide the minimum wage before.
Haven’t reached a point where we can finalize the minimum wage… We also acknowledge that [determination of minimum wage] has become late.
Deputy Economic Minister Riyaz Mansoor
The Chairman of the Wage Advisory Board said that there are multiple factors in play in determining the minimum wage including, multiple parties being allowed to submit proposals with no cut off point. Now, the board has stopped accepting proposals and will decide on a minimum wage after discussions based on technical data.
The Secretary-General of the Wage Advisory Board Mauroof Zahir has earlier alleged that Wage Advisory Board has been politicized and wage determination might be delayed until post ruling party MDP’s internal elections. Riyaz denied these allegations and stated that all the members of the Wage Advisory Board are acting of their own free will.
The declaration of a minimum wage is a presidential pledge of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with the President instituting the Salary & Wage Advisory Board on 1st May 2019. While public criticism has been aimed at the government for the delay in announcing the minimum wage in the Maldives, civil servants across the Maldives have been protesting in various forms.
