National Pay Commission prepares to increase pay for health sector

The National Pay Commission (NPC) announced on Monday that it has created a framework of remuneration for health sector employees by dividing the sector into 55 distinct professions.

Speaking at the parliament's Committee on Independent Institutions meeting, the Secretary General of NPC Dr Mohamed Faisal said that the   health sector salaries were set after several discussions. NPC held multiple discussions with the Ministry of Health and its affiliated organisations in the past year for this purpose, he said.

"There are 55 professions in the health sector, and some of these do not have anyone employed, not even locals. So we have announced appealing salaries for these fields to attract locals," Faisal said.

He also said that the commission was tasked with creating a national pay framework, adding that the NPC will increase the pay for professionals employed in the health sector and universities by May 2023.

Faisal noted that several previous policies will be revised or amended with the implementation of the new framework. He further claimed that the commission would be fair in creating the framework for multiple sectors. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also stated that he prioritises pay harmonisation across sectors.

To achieve a sector-wide increment in remuneration, the Maldives government allocated a budget of MVR 500 million for the health sector in 2023. Last year, the government increased the budget for the education sector to MVR 337 million to achieve a nationwide remuneration increment for teachers.