Govt proposes Ramadan allowance for women's committee members

The government has submitted an amendment to the Decentralisation Act to parliament, proposing a Ramadan allowance for members of Women’s Development Committees (WDC).

If approved, WDC members will receive the allowance starting this Ramadan.

The amendment was submitted by PNC MP Ahmed Sameer on behalf of the government. The first reading of the bill was conducted during Monday's parliament sitting.

According to the proposed amendment, WDC members who do not receive a Ramadan allowance from any other employment will be eligible for the allowance. The bill specifies that:

In addition, the bill addresses concerns previously raised by WDC members regarding their wages. Currently, WDC members receive payments determined by the Ministry of Finance. However, these payments are not classified as salaries, which has affected their ability to obtain bank loans.

To resolve this issue, the amendment proposes that WDC wages be set by the Pay Commission based on recommendations from the Local Government Authority (LGA).

The bill also clarifies funding allocations for WDCs. Under the Decentralisation Act, local councils are required to allocate at least 5% of their grants to WDCs for carrying out their responsibilities.

The amendment outlines how these funds will be disbursed:

The proposed amendment seeks to formalise financial provisions for WDCs while ensuring transparency and accountability in their funding and operations.