Parliament approves Rf160,000 lump sum for each MP as committee allowance back pay
25 Aug 2011, 6:48 PM
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday approved a lump sum of Rf160,000 (US$10,376) for every MP, in committee allowance back pay for January through August.
The decision to approve the Rf20,000 (US$1200) monthly allowances in December 2010 was met with protests and widespread public indignation. However in June this year, parliament rejected a resolution proposed by opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf to scrap the allowance.
The back payment of the allowance will cost the state up to Rf 12.32 million (US$800,000), following a year in which a quarter of all parliament sessions were disrupted and at a time when the country faces a crippling budget deficit.
A Majlis official, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to Minivan News that following its decision, the committee asked the Speaker to issue the lump sum allowance with MPs’ salaries this month.
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