New policies to ensure President

The Auditor General has commenced efforts to establish policies to ensure that the expenses of campaign and unofficial trips of the President are repaid to the State.

Auditor General Ibrahim Niyaz made this statement while speaking to Sun Online today.

“We have experienced it before, and are experiencing it now as well, that State funds are used for the wife and children to accompany the President when he travels abroad. As a rule, unless it’s a state visit, it would not be acceptable that State funds are used even for the wife. So it’s important that these policies are established in detail, which is why we are doing this,” he said.

He said that in developed countries, criteria are established to distinguish Presidents’ official and unofficial visits; and that studies are currently being carried out by taking policies in countries such as the USA as examples.

“After our study, we can say why a trip is categorised as a political trip. For example, we see multiple visits being made to the Atolls as we approach local elections. Promises are made during these trips. That shows that they are campaign trips. We will establish policies on how to act under those circumstances,” he said.

Niyaz said that Ministers should also pay for their campaign trips.

“These policies will not obstruct the President’s trips. He will be able to travel with full security and such. The purpose of these policies is that the political trip expenses are recovered,” he said.

The Auditor General said that the policies will be sent to the Parliament and the President’s Office, and that they will be recommended to execute them.

Meanwhile, the main issue discussed by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee at its meeting held today, also was that the aim of the President’s recent trips have been to gain political advantage. The Committee has decided to obtain and study the details of the expenses of the President’s trips.