Parliament rejects legislature to increase disability allowance

The Parliament has rejected the legislative amendment to the Act on Protection of Rights and Financial Assistance to Persons with Disabilities designed increase the current disability allowance to an amount in the range of MVR 5,000 to MVR 7,000.

The bill was submitted to the Parliament by Jumhoory Party (JP) representative, Dhangethi MP Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim.

The Parliament took a yes or no vote on accepting the bill this Wednesday afternoon. Only 12 parliamentarians voted in favor of the bill, while a majority of 57 parliamentarians voted against the bill.

Nazim’s bill had called for the establishment of a special registry for persons with disabilities, and a ranking system.

It stipulated that everyone on the disability registry is eligible to a monthly allowance of MVR 5,000 to MVR 7,000 the moment the amendment is enacted up until his/her name is removed from the register.

It additionally stipulated that persons who are bedridden for a long period of time due to a disability must be awarded a monthly allowance of minimum MVR 9,000.

At the debate held on the bill earlier this Wednesday, ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentarians expressed displeasure over the decision by JP, which is part of the government coalition, to submit legislature linked with the State’s budget without any prior discussions with the government.

Meanwhile, opposition parliamentarians argued the current MVR 2,000 disability allowance is insufficient to effectively assist persons with disabilities.