Report: Ayya
People’s Majlis yesterday passed Mrf 12.1 million deficit budget for the year 2008.Government initially proposed a balanced budget of Mrf11.9 Billion for the year 2008. However the proposed budget when passed with the 3 amendments proposed by members amounted to Mrf. 12.1 billion.
30 members out of 42 members present voted in favor for the budget. 12 members voted against passing the budget and they are Gaa Alif member Abdullah Jabir, Noonu atoll member Abdullah Yamin, Meemu Atoll member Ahmed Nazim, Raa Atoll Member Ali Waheed, Thaa Atoll Member Hassan Afeef, Male’ member Ibrahim Ismail, Lhaviyani atoll member Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Vaavu atoll Member Ismail Shihab, Haa Alif member Jaufar Easa Adam, Kaafu Atoll Member Mariya Ahmed Didi, Addu Member Mohamed Aslam and Gaafu Dhaalu Member Zahir Adam. Faafu Member Ahmed Hamza remained neutral.
Majlis passed to give Rf 100 million subsidy to fishermen so that they could get fuel at a lower price. This was a proposal by Addu Atoll member Mohammed Aslam to the 2008 budget and 32 members out of 42 voted in favor for this proposal.
Other than this, Majlis has also passed to reduce the interest of loans to develop electricity in the atolls to 1% while interest taken for loans from capital fund in government business institutions will be increased to 10%. Faafu atoll member Ahmed Hamza made this proposal. 26 members voted in favor of the amendment.
Another proposal was passed to do a survey to provide medical insurance to the Maldivians and to include that money in the 2009 budget. Majlis also passed to obtain this amount from the Finance Ministry’s contingency budget. This proposal was also made by Faafu atoll member Hamza. 29 Members voted in favor of the amendment.
From the proposals by the members, two proposals to transfer social security funds to a single government institutions instead of it been given by Presidential Palace Theemuge and other Government Ministries was rejected. The proposal to increase the Mrf 110 Million subsidy to Mrf 200 million to develop electricity in the atolls was also not passed. Another proposal to deduct Mrf 24 million from the Mrf 424716233 allotted for MNDF to spend for development of fisheries and agriculture was also not passed. Another proposal to spend Mrf 118548321alloted for Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to build houses for homeless people was also rejected. The proposal to increase bed rent of tourist resorts to US $ 5000 and to spend the extra revenue the government get from this for medical insurance of all Maldivians.
After asking for vote on each of the proposals, the chair announced that Meemu atoll Member as well as the Minister of President’s office and the president of DRP parliamentary group; Aneesa Ahmed did not take part in the vote. The chair also said that the President’s member Dr. Mohamed Shareef also did not take part in most votes. Aneesa Ahmed got out from the Majlis once the chair announced those who did not take part in the vote.
Finance Minister Gasim Ibrahim and some other cabinet Ministers were present at the budget meeting. Gasim said that this was the first time that changes were brought to the budget proposed by the government and this was a historical event and a sign of developing democracy. He also welcomed the Rf 100 Million subsidy to be given for fishermen, but said that the budget for year 2008 would be a Rf 100 million deficit budget instead of a balance budget as proposed before. Some members expressed joy and welcomed the Finance Minister on passing of the budget.
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