Minister of Finance Moosa Zameer has disclosed that significant and illegal issues have been identified in the systematic recording of government expenditures over the past few years.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office, Minister Zameer revealed that the Ministry of Finance has halted the publication of the Weekly Fiscal Development report due to the identification of serious and illegal discrepancies in the recording of government spending. He emphasised that this decision aims to ensure that the nation's fiscal accounts are presented with accurate and valid information.
Addressing the media, Minister Zameer noted that the current budget must account for unpaid bills from 2022 and 2023, totalling USD 162 million, which have been requested for publication. He mentioned that the ministry has referred these cases to the Auditor General's Office (AGO) for review, as there may be additional outstanding bills. Furthermore, the minister stated that a significant amount of USD 194 million has been disbursed from this year's cash flow, despite being included in last year's budget and not paid from the 2023 cash flow.
During the press conference, Attorney General Ahmed Usham stated that the inclusion of these amounts in this year's budget was against the law. Therefore, the ministry is working actively to address these issues. The attorney general confirmed that the matters have been forwarded to the AGO, and a report is expected within two to three weeks, after which appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings. He asserted that cases involving legal violations will be thoroughly investigated, and legal action will be pursued against those responsible.
Furthermore, Usham stated that the supplementary budget should also be used after requesting the Parliament's Budget Committee. He remarked that this practice has not been followed in the past three years, attributing the current financial challenges stemming from such illegal actions.