The President’s Office has not disclosed the cost of President Mohamed Muizzu's trip to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Muizzu visited China from August 30 to September 4. The government pledged to announce the expenses of the President's trips within 15 days of returning to the country. Today marks 17 days since his return from China.
Muizzu took the initiative to disclose the expenses of trips as a step to increase government transparency. He made the announcement on December 2, 2023 and said information will be provided by the President's Office.
But the President's Office has yet to disclose the expenses of the last four overseas trips, including the visit to China. Details are pending for visits to the UK, Malaysia and Singapore.
It has been 144 days since Muizzu completed his trip to Malaysia, while 81 days have passed since the trip to Singapore ended, and 64 days have passed since his return from the UK.
Muizzu has made six trips this year. They included two trips to the UK and trips to Singapore, Malaysia, Estonia and China. His wife, Sajidha Mohamed, accompanied him on the Singapore trip.
Large government delegations accompany the President on every trip. They include ministers, government officials, MPs and officials from state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Some media personnel are also allowed to travel on state expenses during some trips.
