248 political staff sacked under fiscal reform, govt says
Heena also stated that the cabinet has decided to implement a system to monitor the performance of political employees.
A total of 248 political employees have been dismissed as of Thursday as part of efforts to reduce government expenditure under fiscal reform measures, according to President's Office Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed.
President Mohamed Muizzu had announced on the 15th of last month that 228 political employees would be laid off within two weeks to curb government spending. The deadline expired on Thursday, and Heena confirmed that the dismissals had reached 248 employees.
Heena also stated that the cabinet has decided to implement a system to monitor the performance of political employees.
“This system will be implemented very soon,” she noted.
President Muizzu had earlier highlighted that the reduction in political staff would result in savings of MVR 5.7 million per month for the state budget.
The government's financial situation has faced criticism for not addressing the number of political appointments. Opposition parties and members of the public have raised concerns about the appointment of numerous political employees without clear disclosure of recruitment figures within ministries.
In response, President Muizzu announced in June plans to reduce political staff. The recent dismissals mark the first instance of the implementation of these measures.
