Allowance of elderly to be increased to USD454

The government has decided to increase the state allowance for individuals above 65 years of age to USD454.

At a campaign event held in Male' City, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih noted that the current allowance of USD324 is now unsustainable for the elderly and that his administration has decided to raise it to USD454. He added that the government has also made the decision to raise the retirement age from 65 to 70.

The USD324 allowance for the elderly was set in 2008 by the first administration of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). President Solih has earlier said that steps are being taken to update various frameworks on state allowances.