The Minister of Finance and Treasury Ahmed Munawar revealed on Tuesday that the annual state budget for 2019 presented to the parliament will be from the new government.
Since the opposition coalition's presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Presidential Election on September 23, the state has presented the opportunity for the coalition to prepare the annual budget for 2019.
The Finance Ministry has requested the opposition to present their budget by the end of October.
While speaking at a press conference held by ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Minister Munawar assured that the ministry will give full cooperation to the opposition coalition in compiling the budget.
The due date to submit the projected budget for 2019 to the parliament is after President-Elect Solih's oath-taking in November. For this reason, the ministry has decided to work on the budget with the coalition.
Minister Munawar said that it is a constitutional responsibility of the Finance Ministry to present the budget, and requested the opposition to submit a fully prepared one to the ministry. He also revealed that an official letter has been sent to the President-Elect's office regarding the issue.
He went on to say that although work on the budget commenced in March, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has decided that it will be completed by the opposition.
Furthermore, Minister Munawar said that they have compiled information about all the ongoing projects and should the opposition require any technical information, they will provide it.
Munawar said that it is important to know if the new government had any plans to make new ministries and what their policy is on governing, in order to make the budget.
For 2018, the parliament had approved MVR 27.9 billion as the state budget.
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