Democrats slams supplementary budget as expenditure 'cover-up'

The Democrats on Wednesday has said the finance ministry proposed a MVR 6.5 billion supplementary budget last month to cover government expenditure without parliamentary approval as expenditure had run beyond the budget approved by Parliament for this year. At Wednesday's sitting, the Democrats said that it was a receipt for theft.

The supplementary budget debate was taken up in the Parliament on Wednesday. The parliament passed for the budget issue to be resolved by Thursday.

During the debate, MP Ali Azim accused the government of proposing the supplementary budget in violation of Article 96 of the constitution. He said that if Mahchangolhi Central MP Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned as the speaker of parliament last Monday, was still in office, he would not have put the issue on the agenda.

"When the supplementary budget was presented, it became clear why you had forced your way to that seat at this point. Of course, if it was the Machangolhi Central constituency MP sitting in ur place, he would definitely not have allowed misappropriating public money by this government in violation of the constitution and laws," said Azim, who unsuccessfully contested against Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam for the speaker's post after Nasheed's resignation.

Noting that Article 96(c) of the constitution stipulates that expenditure should not be increased beyond the amount in a budget approved by parliament except with the permission of parliament, Azim questioned how about MVR 7 billion would be spent for the remaining month of this year.

"It's just a month to the end of this year, so if you look at this budget, you know that it was spent in the past. It has been already submitted here that they have spent it in the past. The Constitution says it cannot be done so. People's money, people are being abused. Every government that comes to power is devouring it," Azim said.

Maafannu Central MP Ibrahim Rasheed, who spoke after Azim, described the supplementary budget as a “reimbursement” budget. According to him, this is a budget proposed to give dues to businesses of people associated with the government after accepting goods at throwaway prices.”

"This budget has been spent. This is a reimbursement, a reimbursement budget. The money of this budget has been used to import medicines, and it’s beneficiaries are here even now. People who imported medicines for MVR 250 had sold them to the government for MVR 7,000.”

In addition, private companies that build power plants and run water and sewerage projects are not paid, he said. He said the government had "devoured" the money owed to the businesses.

“They devour the money and pass a budget again,” he said.

Former President Nasheed described the budget as a "theft receipt" He said the most notable issue in the outgoing government was the lack of cash flow management.

The Weekly Fiscal Developments, which is supposed to be published once a week by the finance ministry, was released by the end of this month, he said.

"Look at the Ministry of National Housing and Infrastructure utilised amount and unutilised amount. There is no unutilised amount. When it came to the forty-fourth week. You can't do that. This is the money of the people," Nasheed said.

He said the people's money is for the development of the country, the offspring; "children and grandchildren" Therefore, it cannot be used in vain, Nasheed said.

"This is not a supplementary budget, this is a theft receipt. A theft receipt. Very rarely do we get a theft receipt," Nasheed said.

"This is a receipt sent here by the finance minister and the president”.