MVR 6400 - Minimum Wage figures trickle in

Minister of Economic Development has today released for the first time a figure that may be decided as the nationwide minimum wage.  It is MVR 6400 or US$ 415.

He is reported to have said that a recommendation is received from ILO that a figure between MVR 6000 (US$ 389) and MVR 6500 (S$ 421) may be decided as the minimum wage for the Maldives.The Minister has indicated that there was a possibility to decide a different minimum wage threshold for resorts. If resorts are to have a different set of minimum wage figures, it is reported that the figure could range between MVR 6400 (US$ 421) to MVR 8600 (US$ 557).The Economic Development Minister is reported to have stated that expatriate employees will be excluded from the minimum wage requirements in the first phase of its introduction.The proposal is now delivered to parliament for an advisory opinion according to the Minister.Earlier, in his state of the nation address to parliament for 2020, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih gave his first clear signal on 3 February that the Maldives Government would introduce minimum wage in the country this year.Weeks later, a legislative proposal in the form of an amendment to the Employment Act was tabled in parliament. This government sponsored bill did not decide minimum wage nor did it declare any key guidelines or thresholds.It proposed the creation of a board that would ultimately advise the Minister with its recommendations.However, a few days later, the Minister of Economic Development declared that he would introduce minimum wage within the month of February.With this step today, in bringing the minimum wage figures out, the much anticipated public discourse on the new policy shall begin.