MP Ilyas: Will not allow passage of supplementary budget

Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb says the Democrats will not allow the Parliament to pass the MVR 6.5 billion supplementary budget submitted by the government.

In a rally on Thursday, Ilyas accused the MDP administration of “extreme acts of theft and corruption.” He accused the administration of submitting the supplementary budget to rack up the state’s debt in the weeks left in the current presidential term.

“The debt – which stood at MVR 48 billion – has risen to MVR 113 billion by the end of the current administration. Now they want MVR 6.5 billion more. This administration alone has taken on MVR 75 billion in debt,” he said.

“They submit this budget and claim that the fuel prices have gone up. That they need it for Aasandha and NSPA. Our Parliament needs to stop this.”

Ilyas alleged that the MDP administration wants to put the country further into debt before the new administration takes over.

“They want to rack up MVR 6 billion more in debt with this supplementary budget. The administration wants to put the incoming administration on its last breath and flee,” he said.

Ilyas said the Democrats, as the minority party, will not allow the administration to get it done through the Parliament.

“They are straight-out stealing. We hope the incoming administration will investigate this. We will do everything possible to investigate this through the Parliament. If we do not look into this theft, then theft and corruption cannot be eliminated from Maldives. Thieves should receive their just punishment,” he said.

The Finance Ministry resubmitted the supplementary budget on Thursday, after it failed to submit necessary documents the first time it submitted the budget.

The supplementary budget submitted to the Parliament includes MVR 3.1 billion for recurrent expenditure and MVR 3.3 billion for capital expenditure.

The allotment for recurrent expenditure includes MVR 1.8 billion for subsidies, MVR 1.2 billion for Aasandha – which will increase the budget allocated for Aasandha this year to MVR 2.3 billion.

Meanwhile, the allotment for capital expenditure includes MVR 1.7 billion for PSIP projects.

With the MVR 6.5 billion supplementary budget, the state budget for 2023 will rise to MVR 49.3 billion.