The Maldives president has fired over 225 political appointments, including ministries, in an effort to decrease the Indian Ocean nation’s spending, his office announced on Tuesday.
Mohamed Muizzu has ordered the expulsion of those he nominated after taking power last year, as the small but strategically positioned nation fights to avoid a fiscal crisis.
“This significant reduction in political appointments aligns with the president’s broader efforts to streamline government operations and ensure more efficient use of public funds,” according to a statement from Muizzu’s office.
Among those fired were seven state ministers, 43 deputy ministers, and 178 political directors.
It was unclear what functions they served in the little country of around half a million.
The message did not specify how many more political appointees remained in the administration, but it declare that the major reduction of staff would save the country around $370,000 each month.
Despite concerns of a potential sovereign default, the Maldives stated in September that its financial difficulties were “temporary” and that it had no intentions to seek an International Monetary Fund bailout.
The Maldives, known for its luxury holiday resorts and gorgeous white sand beaches, has also emerged as a geopolitical flashpoint.
China and India are the Maldives’ two major bilateral donors, with 1,192 coral islands distributed across the equator.
China has offered additional support since Muizzu’s win last year, when he hailed Beijing for its “selfless assistance” in development funds.
Muizzu was greeted in New Delhi this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced financial assistance to help Male’s faltering economy.
According to official data, the Maldives’ foreign debt stood at $3.37 billion in the first quarter of this year, accounting for around 45 percent of its GDP.
China accounted for around 20% of the external debt, while India held little under 18%.