Parliament presents its recommendations on govt.’s COVID-19 programs

The Parliament, on Monday, presented its recommendations regarding the execution of the programs run by the government to mitigate the negative impacts of measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The report compiled by the Parliament based on the findings and recommendations of the parliamentary committees which conducted reviews on the government’s programs was presented to the President by the Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed in a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Monday.

According to the Parliament, the purpose of the report is to provide the legislative house’s opinion regarding the efforts by the government to overcome the country’s current situation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The report includes detailed analysis of financial, economic and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including projection on changes to state income, projections on increased unemployment, the social issues it is expected to give rise to, and research into projected increases in homelessness.

The report offers recommendations on providing assistance to people stranded in Male’ City and islands due to the lockdown, people who lose their employment, and people who lose their homes.

Speaker Nasheed, during the parliamentary sitting on Monday morning, said the report was 400-pages long.

“I am going to read a summary of this opinion. In Sha Allah, all decisions made by honorable parliamentarians will be presented to the President. The President has provided assurance he will treat the decisions as a guide, or as a roadmap to run the government,” said Nasheed.

The ceremony held at the President’s Office to present the report was attended by Parliament’s Secretary-General Fathimath Nausha, Parliament’s Counsel General Fathimath Filza, and Chief of Bureau of the Parliament’s Secretariat, Ruqiyya Ahmed Didi.