Parliamentarian Meekail Ahmed Naseem has submitted a request to Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed to initiate proceedings to acquire and publicise the list of recipients of relief loans issued by the government under the economic relief package.
In a letter submitted to the speaker, Parliamentarian Meekail Ahmed Naseem said there have been several complaints that the government has not issued loans to a number of individuals who are eligible for the relief loans. He expressed belief that publicising the list of recipients would help to gain public confidence in the relief system, and requested the speaker to initiate proceedings to acquire the list from the government through the relevant parliament committee and publicise the list.
Ministry of Finance had earlier revealed 618 businesses and 230 freelance workers have been issued relief loans under the economic relief package introduced to assist businesses and individuals financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry also revealed over USD 96,000 has been issued as unemployment benefits to individuals who have been dismissed by their employers or placed on no-pay leaves following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government is issuing economic relief loans through SME Development Finance Corporation (SDFC) and Bank of Maldives (BML). The loans are issued at an interest rate of 6% and a repayment period of 3 years.