GDh. Atoll Council spent half a million on Thailand trip: Audit

An audit report has revealed that the GDh. Atoll Council spent over half a million Maldivian Rufiyaa on a trip to Thailand, raising serious concerns over financial mismanagement and non-compliance with government spending regulations.

According to the 2023 audit conducted by the Auditor General’s Office, a total of MVR 559,168 was spent on the overseas trip, which included nine council members and the Secretary General. In addition to travel expenses, the council disbursed approximately MVR 300,000 in daily allowances and pocket money.

The purpose of the visit was cited as gaining experience in local tourism, agriculture, and good governance. During the trip, the delegation also met with officials from the Maldives Embassy in Thailand and the Phuket Tourism Promotion Board to discuss cultural and tourism collaboration.

However, the audit noted that the expenditure was not in line with a Finance Ministry directive issued to all government agencies, urging stricter control of public spending and improved efficiency. Furthermore, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the official body responsible for tourism promotion, was not consulted prior to the council’s trip, despite the stated tourism-related objectives.

The audit also uncovered additional financial irregularities within the GDh. Atoll Council. Notably, receipts were not prepared for MVR 11.6 million received through account transfers, a violation of financial rules requiring proper documentation for all forms of payments.

Moreover, the audit found that state revenue collected by the council was not deposited into the public bank account maintained at the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), as mandated. As of the third day of the audit month, the revenue remained outside official accounts.

By the end of the year, the council had MVR 228,467 in outstanding receivables, with no documented efforts to recover the funds. An additional MVR 399,953 was also owed to the council but was not recorded in the official registry, including amounts flagged for recovery in the 2018 audit.

The audit also highlighted inconsistencies in how the council recorded income from speedboat and boat services. Details such as the number of trips, payer information, and receipts were either missing or incomplete. Additionally, a lease agreement had expired, yet the land in question continued to be used without rental payments.

The report concluded by expressing concern over similar overseas trips made by other councils, indicating a broader issue of financial mismanagement across multiple local government bodies.

The report concluded by expressing concern over similar overseas trips made by other councils, indicating a broader issue of financial mismanagement across multiple local government bodies.

The report concluded by expressing concern over similar overseas trips made by other councils, indicating a broader issue of financial mismanagement across multiple local government bodies.