The president of the Maldives has sacked more than 225 political appointees, including ministers, in a bid to slash spending in the cash-strapped Indian Ocean country, his office said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Muizzu ordered the removal of those he appointed after coming to power last year as the small but strategically located country struggles to avoid a debt crisis.
“This significant reduction in political appointments is in line with the President’s broader efforts to streamline government operations and ensure more efficient use of public funds,” a statement from Muizzu’s office said.
Those dismissed included seven ministers of state, 43 deputy ministers and 178 political directors.
It was not clear what work he did in the small country of about half a million people.
The statement did not say how many more political appointees remained in the administration, but said the massive staff cuts would save the country about $370,000 per month.
The Maldives said in September that its financial troubles were “temporary” and that it had no plans to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund despite warnings of a possible sovereign default.
Known as a luxury holiday destination with pristine white-sand beaches and secluded resorts, the Maldives has also become a geopolitical hotspot.
China and India are the two largest bilateral creditors of the Maldives, which is made up of 1,192 coral islands straddling the equator.
China has promised more funding since the victory of Muizu last year, who thanked Beijing for “selfless assistance” to the development fund.
Muizu was welcomed in New Delhi this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who offered financial assistance to shore up Mali’s struggling economy.
Official data showed that Maldives’ external debt stood at $3.37 billion in the first quarter of this year, equivalent to about 45 percent of gross domestic product.
China’s share in external debt was about 20 percent, while India’s share was only less than 18 percent.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
