The Ministry of Finance and Planning has instructed all government institutions and state-owned entities to disburse the Ramadan allowance to eligible employees by 12 February, ahead of the start of the holy month.
The instruction was issued through an official circular circulated to public sector bodies, outlining the procedures and timelines for processing the allowance. The ministry stressed the need for timely coordination to ensure payments are made in line with legal requirements.
According to the circular, employees who hold more than one position within the public sector will be eligible to receive the Ramadan allowance only from their primary place of employment, in order to prevent duplicate payments.
The ministry also clarified eligibility rules for employees on leave. Staff members who are on paid or unpaid leave at the start of Ramadan will not qualify for the allowance unless they resume work during the month. In such cases, the allowance will be paid on a pro-rata basis, calculated according to the remaining days of Ramadan.
To ensure smooth processing, public sector institutions have been instructed to upload and post all relevant employee information to the public accounting system by 10 February, allowing sufficient time for verification and payment arrangements.
Under the Employment Act, all Maldivian Muslim employees in both the public and private sectors are entitled to a Ramadan allowance of MVR 3,000, which must be paid before the commencement of the fasting month.
