COVID-19 spending increases by 22 percent with MVR 814 million

Finance Ministry records show the government has spent MVR 814.2 million on efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Maldives.

The Finance Ministry released its weekly COVID-19 spending report on Monday. It shows a 22.4 percent increase in spending compared to last week.

According to the Finance Ministry, 91.5 percent of the total spending can be attributed towards spending by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, the week-on-week increment of MVR 148.8 million was attributed primarily to the increased spending by NDMA on medical equipment and the national medical emergency stockpile. Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry contributed to the increment through the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

SPENDING:

• NDMA: MVR 525.4 million
• Health Ministry: MVR 135.7 million
• Planning and Infrastructure Ministry: MVR 27.9 million

The highest spending had been on procurement of PPEs, test kits, and medical consumables, ventilators and establishment of quarantine and isolation facilities.

The government spent MVR 389 million on supplies and requisites for service provisions (procurement of PPEs, test kits and medical consumables) and MVR 189 million on capital (procurement of ventilators and establishment of medical facilities and isolation facilities). The government also spent MVR 110 million on grants, contributions and subsidies which includes direct assistance to those in need, and spending from the Disaster Management Fund to stock up staple food.

The government also spent MVR 54.5 million on land and buildings, MVR 36.6 million on operational services, MVR 24.9 million on supplies and requisites, MVR 7.4 million on repairs and maintenance, and MVR 2.6 million on travel.