Noonu Atoll Council president among those owing council funds
Records indicate that the largest individual outstanding amount is owed by Council President Mohamed Bashir, totalling MVR 118,220.
An audit of the Noonu Atoll Council has found that more than MVR 2 million owed to the council remained uncollected by the end of 2023, including over MVR 100,000 owed by the council’s president.
According to the 2023 audit report released on Sunday by the Auditor General’s Office, a total of MVR 2.2 million was outstanding for services provided by the council. The report stated that sufficient measures had not been taken to recover the amounts.
The audit noted that information provided by the council showed only MVR 960,124 recorded in the official receivables registry as of the end of 2023. This figure includes long-standing debts owed by state institutions and private individuals.
Records indicate that the largest individual outstanding amount is owed by Council President Mohamed Bashir, totalling MVR 118,220. Of this amount, MVR 89,820 relates to unpaid rent for residence at the State House (Atolhuge) from May 2021 to the end of 2023. A further MVR 28,400 relates to unpaid fees for speedboat trips, including travel for campaign purposes.
The audit also identified outstanding payments from several state institutions, mainly for speedboat services. These include the Ministry of Environment with MVR 114,500, the Ministry of Planning with MVR 105,100, N. Kendhikulhudhoo Council with MVR 71,350, the Ministry of Health and Family with MVR 61,500, and N. Manadhoo Council with MVR 52,645.
In addition, the audit found that employees of the atoll’s Local Authority company had been residing at the State House since 12 November 2023 without paying fees. During this period, the council received no revenue from the State House but paid electricity bills of MVR 13,189 in November and MVR 9,494 in December. The audit recommended that the State House be used only for official government and state purposes.
The report further stated that MVR 1.2 million in receivables was missing from the council’s official registry. This includes MVR 502,964 in unpaid loans issued through the Noonu Atoll People’s Fund.
Under the Public Finance Regulations, state offices are required to recover payments for services or goods within one month. The regulations also require legal action to be taken if payments are not settled. The Audit Office has instructed the council to take the necessary steps to recover the outstanding amounts.
