Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim has assured to secure USD 600 million in foreign grant to repay the USD 1 billion state debt in 2026.
Qasim made these remarks during the presidential debate that took place on Saturday evening, September 2. The debate was organized and conducted by Sangu TV. During the event, Qasim said that his team has formulated policies to tackle the issue of inflated state expenditure rates and implement austerity measures.
The JP leader affirmed that he will secure USD 600 million in foreign grant to repay the government’s debt in 2026, though he did not provide further details.
“I will secure USD 600 million out of the USD 1 billion repayment total. I have already guaranteed this,” Qasim said.
When questioned if his government will introduce new taxation, Qasim said that there were no such intentions but added that the existing taxes will be harmonized to increase state revenue. Besides harmonizing taxes, Qasim assured to harmonize import duty mechanism to reduce corruption.
The JP leader said that his foreign policy will be similar to the policies held during former presidents Ibrahim Nasir and Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. He said that the former presidents upheld a non-discriminatory approach in establishing diplomatic relationships with all foreign allies to ensure safety of Maldivian sovereignty and independence.
"Our foreign policy will prioritize the best interests of Maldivians, which will be the primary, secondary, and tertiary focus within this policy. This approach extends to economic, social, and defense policies," Qasim said.
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