Deputy Speaker Urges Collection of Outstanding Revenue as Parliament Prepares for Inquiry

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim has emphasised that the state must pursue the billions of MVR in outstanding revenue it is owed, affirming that Parliament will thoroughly investigate the matter. 

His comments follow President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s recent Independence Day address, in which he revealed that the state is owed approximately MVR 13 billion, with a commitment from his administration to recover these funds.

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In a post on X this morning, Nazim, a prominent People’s National Congress (PNC) member, outlined details about the unpaid dues.

https://x.com/MP4Dhiggaru/status/1817048058372456683

He noted that the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, on which he serves, will convene with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) on Tuesday to discuss the outstanding revenue.

The meeting is expected to include Commissioner General of Taxation Hassan Zareer. Nazim reported that the total uncollected revenue is over MVR 15.4 billion as of the end of May. This figure includes MVR 7.8 billion in tax revenue and MVR 7.7 billion in non-tax revenue.

The Public Accounts Committee’s upcoming agenda also includes interviewing former finance minister Ahmed Munawwar for the role of governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). 

Additionally, the committee is scheduled to meet with officials from MMA, MIRA, the Attorney General’s Office, the Finance Ministry, and the Economic Ministry to discuss the nation’s economic situation.

In his Independence Day speech, President Muizzu attributed the failure to recover these funds to previous administrations and underscored the importance of this recovery in easing the country’s fiscal challenges.