Govt. begins disbursing COVID-19 frontline allowance

The Maldivian government has begun disbursing the frontline allowance introduced for workers on the frontlines of the battle to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Finance Ministry has issued a statement announcing that frontline workers began receiving the allowance this Wednesday.

According to Finance Ministry, MVR 2.9 million in frontline allowances have been disbursed to 220 workers so far.

The payment is for all workers who have worked on the frontlines since March 7, when the coronavirus outbreak began, to the end of June.

Finance Ministry stated that the allowance will be disbursed to more frontline workers soon, once the data verification process is complete.

The decision to pay an additional daily allowance of MVR 200 to MVR 500 for frontline workers was announced by Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer in early May.

He stated that frontline workers engaged in high risk tasks will be paid a daily allowance of MVR 500, while workers engaged in medium risk tasks will receive MVR 250, and workers engaged in low risk tasks will receive MVR 200.

Political appointees, workers in and above deputy minister level, and workers who already receive an allowance for the frontline work are not eligible for the new allowance.