Parliament approves Zareer's appointment as finance minister
Zareer was appointed to the post by President Mohamed Muizzu on 2 June following the resignation of former Finance Minister Moosa Zameer.
The People's Majlis on Wednesday approved the appointment of Hassan Zareer as Minister of Finance.
Zareer was appointed to the post by President Mohamed Muizzu on 2 June following the resignation of former Finance Minister Moosa Zameer.
After the appointment, the President submitted Zareer's nomination to Parliament for approval in accordance with constitutional requirements.
The parliamentary Government Oversight Committee reviewed his credentials and recommended that the nomination be approved.
During Wednesday's sitting, lawmakers voted on the committee's report. Zareer's appointment was endorsed with 49 votes in favour.
Members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted against the nomination after the party issued a whip directing its parliamentary group to oppose the appointment. Opposition lawmakers said their decision was linked to concerns over dismissals from government employment.
Before his appointment as Finance Minister, Zareer served as Commissioner General of the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority.
He has held several positions in the public sector since 2000, including Chief Public Accounts Executive at the Ministry of Finance and Head of the Public Enterprises Monitoring and Evaluation Board.
Zareer also served as Deputy Commissioner General of Taxation between 2010 and 2019 and was previously Chairman of Bank of Maldives.
His experience includes board positions at state-owned enterprises such as State Electric Company, Maldives Transport and Development Corporation, Maldives Post Limited and Maldives National Oil Company.
In 2019, he moved to the private sector, serving as Director of Finance and Group Chief Compliance Officer at Villa Shipping and Trading Company.
Zareer holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in finance from International Islamic University Malaysia. He is also a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) in the United Kingdom and a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) in Australia.
He becomes the third Finance Minister to serve under the current administration. The post was first held by Mohamed Shafeeq before being assumed by Moosa Zameer.
