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Public Accounts Committee meeting on Monday, 16 October 2023.Photo/ Parliament

Audit office requests MVR 123m budget for 2024

Auditor General Hussain Niyazy said the salaries of the institution have not yet been submitted to the Finance Ministry.

17 October 2023

By Aishath Fareeha Abdulla

The Auditor General's Office has asked parliament on Monday to approve a budget of MVR 123 million for next year.

The budget presented to the Finance Committee of the Parliament on Monday includes a dependent allowance for the employees of the agency.

Parliament approved a budget of MVR 93.4 million for the Audit Office this year. However, the Audit Office has spent MVR 7 million more so far this year, and a total of MVR 100.7 million.

The budget was exceeded due to the increased expenditure required to move the office.

Presenting the details of the budget, the Audit Office said MVR 56 million is needed to pay salaries and allowances to employees with the additional dependent allowance.

  • Seven new employees are required

  • An additional incentive is introduced to retain employees; 35 employees have been laid off in recent years

  • The main reason for layoffs is that other institutions and offices offer better salaries

  • It takes days to train new employees for the positions

Details of the budget proposed by the Audit Office:

  • Auditor General's salary and allowances: MVR 795,000

  • Employee salaries and allowances: MVR 55.4 million

  • Pension and retired employees: MVR 1.2 million

  • Staff training: MVR 1.1 million

  • Travel expenses: MVR 5.7 million

  • Administrative expenses of the office: MVR. 21 million

  • New Office Building (PSIP) in Hulhumale: MVR 30 million

Speaking in at Monday's committee, Auditor General Hussain Niyazy said the salaries of the institution have not yet been submitted to the Finance Ministry.

"The salaries were actually fixed when Ibrahim Naeem was first elected as the Auditor General in 2008. Since then, our salaries have not changed. Very small increments have been made at different times, from MVR 1,500 to MVR 2,000. Every two to three years," he explained.

As a result, the Audit Office employees leave and move to better paid places, the Auditor General noted.

The Auditor General said:

  • The directors are paid a monthly salary of MVR 30,000; The directors have 50-60 audits in their portfolio

  • 40,000-45,000 for internal audit of SOEs. Submits; For such reasons, experienced employees have left

  • A new allowance is being added to match the salaries of other workers in the field.

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