Statements by Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Abdulla Muththalib has brought into question the state’s expenditure on development projects, as reported by the Ministry of Finance, over the past six months.
According to the latest Weekly Fiscal Report by the Finance Ministry, approximately MVR 1.8 billion has been spent on development projects during the period — compared to approximately MVR 4.5 billion spent over the same period last year.
At a press conference on Thursday, the minister said there may have been reporting issues in the Finance Ministry’s accounts.
“I think there might be reporting issues, whether their current expenditure includes loans for previous projects, payments made, how much of the four billion they reported earlier has paid for loans taken for previous projects,” Muththalib said, pointing to a need for more clarity, and specificity, in the Ministry of Finance’s reporting.
The minister said it would be prudent to verify with the Finance Ministry to see whether there were any differences in current reporting compared to the past.
“What I know is that there are many ongoing projects. The administration has not stopped any project, has not ordered any to be stopped and has not made that decision,” Muththalib said.
It would not be fair to say that the administration has reduced spending on the Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP), the Infrastructure Minister said.
