Parliament begins budget debate

Parliament has started debating the 2014 state budget today. The budget now carries numerous amendments and has seen an increase from MVR 17.5 billion, proposed by the government, to MVR 17.92 billion.

Chair of the budget review committee, Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim has proposed 14 amendments. These include increasing, without changing the overall figure of the budget; the allocation for the Local Government Authority by MVR 6 million, the Maldives National University budget by MVR 10 million and the Prosecutor General’s Office budget by MVR 5 million, amongst others.

Amendments proposed by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) include; increasing the allocation for Housing Ministry to increase housing plots for people who suffered in the 2004 tsunami by MVR 35 million, to deduct the finances to be gained from concession fees for increasing the lease of tourist resorts by 50 years and to prohibit the government from seeking loans above a 7 percent interest rate for PSIP projects. MDP MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor also proposed to reduce the budget by MVR 2 billion.

Parliament is set to conclude the debate today. The budget will be asked for vote on Sunday, 29 December.