Budget for two new ministries can be obtained from Housing and Health Ministries: Gasim

Leader of Jumhooree Party and Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim has said that the budget for the two new proposed ministries can be obtained from the budgets of Housing Ministry and Health Ministry.

In the parliament debate surrounding the creation of Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights and Ministry of Environment and Energy, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that this is against the laws and also not possible because this year’s approved budget does not include the two new ministries.

Gasim responded by saying that this is not against the constitution or laws, the budget can be obtained from the budgets of Health and Housing Ministries, and that the money can also be transferred from the state contingency budget.

MDP member and Hulhuhenveiru MP Moosa Manik said that the elected government of Maldives is still MDP, and that the Parliament has approved the government ministries and the appointment of people to these ministries, which means that the constitution does not allow the new government to change these things. Any changes would prove that the current government is not legitimate.

He also said that the government is complaining about providing Aasandha services to the people, which only involves a sum of Rf 200 million; whereas two new ministries would involve about Rf 400 million. He said that the creation of these new ministries is against the constitution because no budget has been assigned for them.

“Where can we get this money from? This is not included in the budget. The budget has been approved. Where is the part in the budget relating to these two ministries? There are more important things such as Aasandha and money given to single parents. These two ministries should not be allowed. This is not in the budget, this is against the laws,” he said.

Members of MDP referred to the current government as a ‘traitor government’ in today’s parliament session as well. They urged MPs not to pass any laws in the parliament until the government’s legitimacy can be proven.