The Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) has initiated the disbursement of step allowances owed to judicial employees for the past four years.
Step allowances are a biennial salary increment for judicial employees. Step allowances had not been authorised for disbursement by the Ministry of Finance from 2019-2022 due to the ongoing efforts of the National Pay Commission to streamline the country's salary structure.
In a circular issued by DJA, the finance ministry has now granted approval for the payment of these salary increase allowances to judicial employees. DJA has also requested the Maldivian courts to make the necessary administrative preparations to distribute these allowances to eligible employees in October of this year. As such, individuals submitting applications by October 5 will receive the performance allowance that was withheld from 2019-2022. Additionally, the step allowance for the years 2017-2018, which had been pending, has been disbursed this year.
The finance ministry has given approval for the continued provision of step allowances to judicial employees in the upcoming years. DJA has amended the relevant rules and regulations accordingly. Since 2009, individuals have been receiving a salary increment of USD13 every two years.