Thursday 25th Apr 2024
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Government expenditure

MP Shareef’s daughter earns millions in cushy High Commission stint

Disclosures issued has shown the excesses the state spends on Mizna Shareef, daughter to Addu Maradhoo Constituency MP Ibrahim Shareef.
Mizna Shareef serves as Deputy High Commissioner at the Maldivian Embassy in Malaysia.
In her stint as the Deputy High Commissioner, Mizna earns around MVR 2.4 million (around US$ 156,165.26) annually. This rounds off to around MVR 200,000 (around US$ 13,013.77) per month.
  • Breakdown of Mizna’s salary
  • - Basic salary: MVR 216,000 (US$ 14,054.87)
  • - Ramadan allowance: MVR 3,000 (US$ 195.21)
  • - Special allowance to the post: MVR 118,981 (US$ 7,741.96)
  • - Commuting allowance: MVR 99,922 (US$ 6,501.81)
  • - Dependent’s allowance: MVR 1,585,299 (US$ 103,153.60)
  • - Other allowances: MVR 393,765 (US$ 25,621.84)
  • - Total: MVR 2,416,917 (US$ 157,266.03)
Similar to other diplomats under this administration, Mizna rakes in the highest amount for dependent’s allowance. Based on the information released to Dhiyares by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the highest amount an individual can claim as dependent’s allowance is MVR 22,525 or US$ 1,465.68 per month. This translates to MVR 270,300 (US$ 17,588.11) annually.

Mizna’s claim is five times higher than the approved amount.

The excessive pay packages to diplomats is a hallmark of the administration of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. As such, in the first three years of this administration, MVR 82 million (around US$ 5.3 million) was spent on the Maldivian Embassy in Malaysia.

This is in stark contrast to the previous administration. In the last three years of the previous administration, MVR 43 million (around US$ 2.8 million) was spent.

Under this administration, spending on the Embassy in Malaysia has doubled.

Mizna’s father, MP Ibrahim Shareef is a staunch defender of this administration. He has consistently and constantly defended this administration, irrespective of the many blunders. MP Shareef was one of the vocal proponents of the Government’s decision to print money during Covid-19 pandemic.