Finance Minister Hassan Zareer told parliament that state companies took on 18,053 staff during MDP's five years in government and 4,938 since this government took office. Asked by Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim 'Kudu' on what basis MDP-affiliated staff are being dismissed, Zareer denied dismissing employees over their political views or party under the ongoing effort to reduce the workforce of state-owned enterprises by 33 per cent. SOEs employed 18,676 people in 2018, but the number doubled to 36,729 between 2019 and 2023, and it now stands at 41,667. He said 53 per cent of employment in the Maldives is in the "bloated" public sector, leaving the economy "unstructured".
An MVR600 million (US$39 million) fund has been set up to lend to people leaving SOEs under right-sizing and to others giving up state jobs to start their own businesses, Zareer said. The Kumevi Fund is held at SME Digital using money already there, and Business Centre Corporation will prepare applicants' business proposals.
Mayor Adam Azim said spending on Malé City Council's public consultation meetings has been cut, citing figures of MVR567,839 and MVR 585,137 for meetings in February and July, respectively, which he said were down from the 2023 total of MVR2,050,520. He said some outlets had reported the annual figure in a way that suggested it was the cost of a single meeting, calling the coverage false and misleading.
PNC has hired 100 people at MVR12,000 a month to promote Muizzu on social media, Adhadhu reported, citing sources it said were reliable. It put the cost at MVR 1.2 million a month and said the work is led by Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef 'Mundhu' with Hajj Corporation chief executive Mohamed Firuzul. Screenshots from a WhatsApp group called "PNC Dhaaira Social Media Team" circulated on social media, in which Mundhu asks those not already party members to join, urges them to keep the arrangement confidential and says pay for the rest of this month has been transferred with full salaries from next month.
Parliament voted 56-10 to remove the rule barring a second petition seeking the same action as one already before it, allowing any number of petitions on the same matter. The change follows the counter-petition calling for the council land bill to be passed being sent to committee at 855 signatures, which Adhadhu reported was done in error, leaving it unable to reach the 2,100 needed for a floor debate. Opposition MP Meekail Naseem said the change was aimed at stopping the petition against the land bill. MP Mauroof Zakir said it was an attempt to counter or neutralise petitions raising people's concerns.
Parliament voted 58-9 to extend its second session to 27 August. The session was due to end on 15 August and was extended last Wednesday to 20 August.
Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation refused to disclose which businesses hold the commercial units in its Amaan Dhoadhi and Amaan Hiyaa towers, or what they pay, saying it is a trade secret.
The cabinet decided to upgrade the Home for People with Special Needs in Kaafu Guraidhoo, to take legal and administrative action against the registered owners of SIM cards smuggled into prisons, to limit unskilled foreign workers to one SIM card each with replacements only through a police-cleared process, to reduce the number of people held in pre-trial detention, to address copper wire theft, and to have Island Aviation review and reduce fares charged to tourists.
