The Parliament has passed the proposed state budget of 2021 today.
The MVR 34 billion budget was passed after 68 MPs voted in favor of the budget while MP for Kaashidhoo Constituency Abdullah Jabir remained the sole MP who voted against the budget.
The government had said that the MVR 34.8 billion included an expenditure of MVR 33.3 billion and that MVR 1.5 billion would be spent on paying back sovereign debts.
It said the economic difficulties that presented itself this year would continue next year and projected that the state would receive MVR 17.8 billion in income and free aid.
Earlier this month, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had called on the MPs to pass the proposed budget saying that this is the best budget that would sufficiently meet the needs of the state economy at this current juncture after it withstood a heavy beating on the hands of the global pandemic COVID-19.
But several MPs, including those representing the current government, had raised concerns that the proposed budget was lofty and underestimated the country’s economic outlook.
