The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has fulfilled many of its pledges, deputy leader and tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb has said.
“This government’s pledges are laid out in our manifesto. I would like to note as this government marks 11 months in power, this young government has fulfilled many pledges,” Adeeb told reporters at a press conference to mark the PPM’s third anniversary on Monday.
The PPM has increased elderly pension from MVR2300 to MVR 5000, reduced fuel and food prices, and maintained the value of the Maldivian Rufiyaa, the minister said, while pledging to destroy the dollar black market.
Adeeb in March had promised the increase in elderly pensions would come through the sale of T-bills and other financial instruments and not through the state budget. But Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad in August admitted the government is forced to rely on the budget to finance the handouts.
The Finance Ministry has said the unplanned increase in handouts and debt servicing is responsible for a ballooning budget deficit, which currently stands at MVR 4 billion (US$260million). The Majlis had planned for a deficit of MVR1.3 billion when it passed the record MVR17.95 million budget.
The finance ministry in September cut back on planned development projects and announced a 20 percent cut in recurrent expenditure, excluding wages and allowances, to curb the deficit.
The PPM’s most noteworthy pledges include a cash handout of MVR10,000 to fishermen during lean months and MVR8,000 to farmers, a doctor for every citizen,and unlimited healthcare under the Aasandha insurance scheme.
After President Abdulla Yameen assumed power, the fisheries ministry announced the MVR10,000 fishermen handouts would be issued through an insurance scheme with a monthly premium of MVR500.
The health ministry launched the unlimited Aasandha scheme and a doctor for every family program in February, though the family doctor project is at present operating only in Malé’s suburb Villimalé and Faafu Atoll Nilandhoo Island.
The PPM also pledged to begin oil exploration in the Maldives, to create a youth city in Malé’s suburb Hulhumalé, to create 94,000 jobs, bring 11 resorts into operation every year, increase annual tourist arrivals to 5 million, and give resort workers shares in resorts.
Women will be allowed to work from home and will be given investment money to encourage female entrepreneurship. Senior citizens will also receive MVR 00,000 on retirement at 65 years of age, said PPM manifesto – launched just days before last year’s presidential poll.
The party also promised higher education to any student who passes tenth grade O’Level with three passes and promised to provide 2000 youths with opportunities for higher education.
Adeeb said the government had faced serious challenges when it assumed power in 2013 including debt repayment and a health and education sectors in ruin. But the PPM and the government has achieved great success, he said.
“We have five years to fulfill pledges in the manifesto. Of those five years, 11 months have passed. There are many days left. So I think we should be given time in evaluating this government’s success,” he said.
“There will be more prosperous changes in the next year,” he promised.
Meanwhile, opposition leader and former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Mohamed Nasheed has said the PPM government has failed to fulfill pledges or ensure security in the country. The country has been taken over by rebel police and gangs, he claimed.
Referring to the government’s failure to find missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan or take action against several masked men who attacked MDP supporters in an Addu City rally, Nasheed said the government has failed to bring perpetrators of serious crime to justice.
He also criticised the government for its decision to ‘freeze employment’ in an attempt to reduce the ballooning budget deficit.
More than 5000 students are to finish their O levels, said the former president, with a further 2000 completing A levels – suggesting that these groups would be lost to gangs without gainful employment.
“The budget deficit has risen higher than ever before. The government is in huge amounts of debt after selling treasury bills to make ends meet,” he added.
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