Parliament today approved a record state budget of MVR 56.6 billion for next year.
Finance Minister Moosa Zameer presented the budget on October 31. The budget debate ended on November 16.
The budget was passed with 70 votes in favour while 11 MPs voted against it.
During the debate, the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) MPs praised the proposed state budget while opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs raised questions over the lack of details.
Opposition MPs demanded details of development projects and slammed the low amounts budgeted as subsidies.
The recommendations submitted during committee stage include sharing details of spending on projects for specific islands next year.
However, the budget was approved today after removing the recommendations by the Budget Review Committee.
Eight recommendations
- Share a list of new projects with the Parliament before February. Share a list of projects that will be implemented and those that will not be implemented before the end of March. Submit a progress report on the projects implemented under the PSIP to Parliament every quarter of the next year.
- Formulate a schedule of SOE reform and submit a quarterly report to Parliament showing the measures planned to be taken and the measures taken in accordance with the schedule.
- Work on changing the tax law and revise tax policies in the medium term and submit them to Parliament.
- Submit to Parliament in the second quarter of next year after establishing a non-discriminatory and transparent system for granting relief and amnesty in financial matters.
- Ensure equality when introducing a targeted pension system and to expedite the necessary legislative changes to make these changes.
- Formulate a schedule of how the system will be implemented to transition to a system of targeted subsidies.
- Expedite the implementation of a system or "means testing."
- Enact an "appropriation" law relating to the state budget.
