The government’s MVR 50 billion budget allocation for this year has reportedly been exhausted, yet many islands remain untouched by any substantial development, according to Hussain Ziyad, MP for the Vaikaradhoo constituency. Speaking at an MDP rally yesterday, Ziyad accused the government of mismanaging the budget and failing to deliver promised improvements in island communities.

Ziyad stated that the government has spent MVR 50 billion, but no island has seen any real change, questioning where the funds were allocated. He noted that despite the substantial budget, essential debts remain unpaid and the government has not settled outstanding dues to companies.

With next year’s budget set at MVR 56 billion and a national debt of $500 million, Ziyad expressed doubt over claims that MVR 1 billion would bring revolutionary change across the country. He criticized this rhetoric as unrealistic, given the lack of visible outcomes from this year’s budget.

He further accused the government of withholding information from the public, contrasting it with the previous administration’s approach to transparency. At least with the previous government, people knew what was happening, this government reveals nothing, he said.