MVR 248m in unpaid school project bills settled, minister says
Shafeeu explained that over MVR 280 million in unpaid bills were inherited from work started before he took office.
Education Minister Ismail Shafeeu stated Wednesday that MVR 248 million of the MVR 280 million in unpaid bills for previously initiated projects has been settled.
The payments address a backlog that arose due to insufficient allocation of funds.
Shafeeu was responding to questions in parliament regarding the construction progress of the hall at Dharumavantha School. In his statement, he provided an update on the situation related to the unpaid bills and the impact on ongoing and new projects.
Shafeeu explained that over MVR 280 million in unpaid bills were inherited from work started before he took office. Of this amount, MVR 248 million has now been paid, leaving MVR 32 million still outstanding.
He noted that some construction companies have halted work as a result of delayed payments.
Addressing concerns about project delays, Shafeeu mentioned that this year’s budget for Public Sector Investment Projects (PSIP) has averaged 7% of the total budget for new initiatives, with some projects not being budgeted for up to 15%. He added that ongoing projects in several constituencies have faced delays due to demobilisation by construction companies over non-payment.
Shafeeu also informed parliament of efforts to mitigate these issues, including restarting delayed projects and identifying uninitiated ones. He emphasised that contracts are being signed with new construction companies to continue the necessary work.
