Gov’t to Replace MNDF and Police Welfare Scheme with Private Insurance
Photo: MPS
The government has announced the discontinuation of the medical welfare scheme for officers of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Police Service, replacing it with private insurance.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the current scheme has led to substantial expenditure on medical coverage for MNDF and police personnel, as well as their families. In the previous year, MVR 322 million was spent under the scheme, a figure which includes no coverage cap and extends to certain cosmetic procedures and consumables.
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The Ministry stated that the shift to private insurance aims to better control state expenditure. Under the new arrangement, once the private insurance coverage limit is reached, Aasandha coverage will be made available.
An audit report has revealed that spending on the MNDF and Police medical welfare scheme exceeded the allocated budget by 35 percent last year. The budget had set aside MVR 179 million for additional insurance, yet the actual spending reached MVR 241 million by the end of the year.
In 2019, the government spent MVR 148 million on medical coverage for MNDF and Police officers and their families. Over the past five years, spending on the scheme has increased by over 40 per cent.
