Government expenditure for the multiple official trips over the course of the past two and a half months already totals at MVR 29.3 million.
According to the weekly published financial report by the Ministry of Finance, calculations up till the previous week, places spending by the current administration at 20 percent of the budget set aside for travel and transport. The total annual budget allotted for transportation costs is MVR 141.9 million.
The Edition received word from the Ministry however, clarifying that many of the official visits were supplemented with financial aid received from outside the state, as well as lightened visa requirements.
Officials of the new administration have made international trips for diplomatic missions on a regular basis, from November 2018 onwards.
The majority of these diplomatic visits were made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, who since being appointed to the post, has travelled to numerous countries including India, UAE, Japan, Singapore and America.
The Minister is currently away on a diplomatic visit to Argentina.
Per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all visits serve to enhance diplomatic relations between the respective countries and Maldives, as well as to seek various types of aid.
Accordingly, India has finalized a decision to extend USD 1.4 billion in financial aid to Maldives. Moreover, United States of America had recently sent to Maldives USD equivalent to MVR 2 million.
While the state has incurred travel expenses amounting MVR 29 million, overall government spending is currently at MVR 3.8 billion. Expenses for the year is set as MVR 27.3 billion and the state budget for the entirety of 2019 totals at MVR 30.2 billion.
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