85 percent of travel budget already spent: Finance data

Finance Ministry figures show that 85 percent of the state’s travel budget for 2025 has already been spent, with two months still remaining in the fiscal year.

According to the latest statistics, MVR 212.3 million has been spent out of the MVR 249.1 million allocated for travel. This leaves a balance of MVR 36.8 million. The figures were disclosed after a delay in publishing recent financial data, now updated through October 16.

The travel budget is nearing exhaustion as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and government delegations continue official visits to the atolls. These trips have drawn attention amid broader scrutiny of state spending.

Meanwhile, total expenditure on development projects stands at MVR 5.9 billion, with MVR 2.9 billion spent on airport development alone, making it the largest single project expense so far this year.

On the revenue side, the government has collected MVR 30.7 billion, with taxes accounting for 75 percent of the total.

The 2025 national budget is set at MVR 56.6 billion, with a projected deficit of MVR 9.4 billion, amounting to 7.8 percent of GDP.

The government has set a record-high budget for this year, but opposition figures have criticized what they describe as a decline in actual spending on infrastructure and development projects.