MDP wants to worsen debt burden, chokehold Muizzu govt: Ilyas
Ilyas said MVR 6.5 billion will be added to the country's debt with the proposed supplementary budget.
The current government is trying to worsen the country's debt burdens and to place a chokehold on the incoming PPM-PNC government, but that chance will not be given in parliament, Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb said Thursday.
Speaking at the launch of the 'Membership Drive Campaign' at the Democrats' camp, Ilyas said MVR 6.5 billion will be added to the country's debt with the proposed supplementary budget.
"These people [MDP government] are going to run away after the government ends. We will not give this opportunity to these people. We will study this supplementary budget in parliament and explain the thefts to the people," he said.
The government's MVR 6.5 billion supplementary budget includes payments worth MVR Rs 200-600 million to government-owned companies, he alleged. He also alleged that when money is given to government-owned companies, it is given to MPs and their businesses.
"Just straight theft. I hope the next government will look into this properly. We in parliament will do everything necessary to look into this. If we do not look into this theft, we cannot stop theft and corruption in this country,” Ilyas said.
According to Ilyas:
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Maldives' usable reserves fell to $54 million during the five years; this the lowest level in history
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That’s about enough to buy less than 20 days worth of food
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Today, Maldives reserves are falling to $80 million again
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The PPM-PNC transitional committee has estimated that the figure will be reduced to $34 million by the end of this government
Finance ministry has resubmitted the supplementary budget for a third time after the parliament asked the government to resubmit the supplementary budget with the details required by law, as did not include the details required in the Public Finance Act.
The government submitted a supplementary budget of MVR 6.5 billion to parliament on last Wednesday. The budget was on the agenda on Tuesday but the sitting could not proceed due to lack of quorum.
It was omitted from the agenda of Wednesday's sitting.
Speaker Mohamed Nasheed sent a letter to the ministry Tuesday requesting the ministry to resubmit the budget with all the details required by the law. It was the second time that the parliament rejected the submission over lack of details.
Supplementary budget in brief:
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Increase in subsidies - MVR 1.8 billion
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Increase in Aasandha health insurance - MVR 1.2 billion
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Projects - MVR 1.7 billion
Meanwhile, the Democrats, led by Nasheed, on Tuesday said the supplementary budget was prepared illegally because it lacked details.
In a letter to Nasheed, The Democrats’ Parliamentary Group leader, Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim said:
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The supplementary budget has been prepared and submitted not in accordance with the provisions of the Public Finance Act and relevant regulations
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The supplementary budget does not provide details of the expenditure incurred by the state in the last financial year and the revenue earned by the state
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The details of the programmes to be funded by the special budget under the housing ministry as well as the finance ministry, which constitute a large portion of the expenditure allocated in the supplementary budget, are not clearly known.
