A much smaller government will be adequate for efficient administration, says the President

The President has said a workforce of 18,000 people, who are hard working, well-paid, well-qualified, and motivated, will be adequate for the efficient administration of the government.

The President made the statement in his weekly radio address broadcast from the Voice of Maldives this morning.

Referring to the political transformation the country has recently seen, the President said: “Reforming the system of governance alone was not sufficient. We also have to transform the country’s fiscal and the economic policies.”

“Human experience has shown that if we apply the same standards that we apply to our personal financial matters, to those of the state, the country’s economic matters will be in order,” said the President.

On the reforms planned, he said the government hoped to reduce the government workforce to 18,000 staffs by 2011.

He said that by corporatising state-owned enterprises, he believed 10,000 employees could be transferred from the government workforce.

The government, he added, would try to give a lump sum as a severance package for those who would be laid-off.

In addition to that, he said, the government will provide necessary training and orientation for those who would be laid-off to prepare them for other jobs.

Speaking on the measures the government had planned to enhance job opportunities for Maldivians, he said the government would introduce a work-permit fee for expatriate workers to encourage hiring Maldivians.

As another measure, he said the government’s policy was to increase the wage for certain jobs sought by foreign workers.

In taking the measures, he said, the intention of the government was not harming anyone.
“We will not put anyone in a disadvantageous position. The government’s goal is to turn the economy around and find ways for faster development,” said the President.

He said that the international financial institutions are today ready to provide credit facilities to the Maldives.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and similar institutions had now a different view about the country’s economy.

Turning to the recent allegations about compromising the sovereignty and independence of the country, the President said such speculations were baseless and false.