MVR 12B for four institutions to ensure gender equality, social inclusion

Finance Ministry has projected that MVR 12 billion will be spent over the next three years on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) initiatives implemented by four key government institutions.

The Ministry recently announced the launch of a pilot project on GESI-responsive budgeting, aimed at improving the planning and delivery of support for women, persons with disabilities, children, the elderly, and low-income households.

It clarified that the initiative does not involve allocating a separate budget for vulnerable groups. Instead, it seeks to strengthen the planning, review, and monitoring of existing budget allocations to ensure resources are used more effectively.

Under the pilot program, the budget allocations and expenditures of four government institutions will be monitored through a more structured and systematic framework. The participating agencies are the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Health, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA), and the Family Protection Authority (FPA).

According to the Finance Ministry, GESI-related expenditure by the four institutions is projected to total MVR 12 billion between 2025 and 2029, representing approximately 24 percent of total government expenditure over the period.

The pilot project aims to identify budget allocations directed towards target groups, ensure expenditure aligns with government policies, and strengthen transparency and accountability in public financial management.

The initiative will also collect detailed data on the beneficiaries of government programs, the nature of social inclusion initiatives, and the number of recipients alongside the corresponding budget allocations.

Furthermore, the initiatives will be classified into three categories:

Direct GESI Actions: Program specifically designed for GESI target groups, such as disability allowance schemes.

Significant GESI Benefits: Program in which vulnerable groups are the primary beneficiaries, such as scholarship schemes where at least 45 percent of available opportunities are reserved for female students.

Indirect GESI Support: Broad-based initiatives that provide indirect benefits to these groups, including infrastructure projects such as road maintenance.

The projected MVR 12 billion expenditure includes major allocations for program such as disability allowances and maternal healthcare services over the three-year period.