President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday ratified the first amendment to the Maldives Foreign Services Act (Law no. 20/2021). Parliament passed the bill at its 35th sitting of the first session on Monday, April 25, 2022.

The amendment repealed Section 44 (b) of the legislation, which stated that the National Pay Commission would determine the salaries and allowances of Foreign Service employees based on the recommendations of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance. Additional amendments were made to Sections 47 (c) and 56 (c), while the bill also rescinded select clauses from Section 71.

The amendment also specified details of retirement benefits for Foreign Service employees. The new amendment confers the authority to set remuneration and allowances on the National Pay Commission based on the existing pay structures stipulated in the National Pay Policy Act.

Upon ratification, the amendment has now been published in the Government Gazette.