President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has vowed to raise the disability allowance once the National Registry of Persons with Disabilities is formed. He made the remarks in his speech at the closing ceremony of the third Viavathi Raajje conference.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Solih said that providing allowances to guarantee social protection is one of the highest priorities of the government and that it can be achieved with the help of local councils and women's development committees (WDCs). The president noted that work is being done to formulate the National Registry of Persons with Disabilities and raise the disability allowance.
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has also called for the allowance provided to persons with disabilities to be increased in order to support them effectively. Statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show there are more than 36,000 people with special needs in the Maldives. They are currently being provided with a monthly allowance of USD129.