Ex-president Maumoon supports reducing allowances of former presidents

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has expressed support to reduce the allowances entitled by former Presidents of the country and called on the Parliament to speed up the process as soon as possible.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer proposed to the Parliament to reduce the benefits and allowances designated for former Presidents last week. The amenities can only be revised by amending the law related to it through the Parliament.

Former President Maumoon said that reducing the allowances and benefits entitled to by former Presidents was an important task. 

In a letter, addressed to the Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, former President Maumoon said that the government expenditure needed to be reduced at a time when the country’s economy was negatively impacted and many had suffered a loss of employment.

“So during this fragile situation, I see the fulfillment of the government’s requests under the letter to be of utmost importance. I would also like to express my support to revising the allowances and benefits provided to former Presidents with this opportunity.” Read the letter by Maumoon.

In accordance with the law, former Presidents are designated huge amounts of expenditure by the state. This includes allowances, medical costs, and even office administration costs. 

Former Presidents are entitled to MVR 75,000 as a stipend, MVR 10,000 as accommodation, and MVR 87,000 for office administration per month.