President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that all future government recruitment will be based strictly on education and professional experience, effectively ending the longstanding practice of political appointments.
The declaration was made during the President’s weekly press conference, where he outlined a comprehensive strategy to reduce the size of government and public expenditure in direct response to public demand.
Citing the public’s preference for a smaller government, President Muizzu said the longstanding culture of awarding jobs based on election campaign involvement or political connections would come to an end.
"Giving jobs to anyone in connection with an election campaign or a political party affiliations must come to an end in this country. The people have made that clear. So I will go the same way," he affirmed.
This meritocratic policy extends across all government entities. The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises has already directed state-owned companies to reduce their workforce by 33 percent. The President assured that these reductions would be managed carefully, with employee evaluations conducted in a manner that avoids disrupting company operations. Additionally, a new mandate requires all state-owned companies to publicly announce any vacancies before hiring.
President Muizzu also confirmed that the work of those in political positions is also being evaluated and streamlined. He has already reduced the cabinet from 20 to 15 ministers and intends to apply stricter educational criteria for future political appointees, such as requiring a master's degree for a State Minister and a bachelor's degree for a Deputy Minister.