Majority of State Travel Budget for 2025 Already Spent, Finance Ministry Data Shows

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

According to the latest statistics, MVR 212.3 million has been utilised out of the MVR 249.1 million allocated for travel, leaving a balance of MVR 36.8 million. The data, which had been delayed, was recently updated through 16 October.

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The travel budget is nearing depletion as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and senior government delegations continue extensive official visits across the atolls. These trips have drawn public attention amid increasing scrutiny of overall state expenditure.

Meanwhile, total spending on development projects stands at MVR 5.9 billion, with MVR 2.9 billion allocated to airport development alone — the largest single project expense so far this year.

On the revenue side, the government has collected MVR 30.7 billion, with tax income contributing 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, equivalent to 7.8 percent of GDP. Although this marks a record-high budget, opposition figures have criticised the government, citing what they describe as a decline in actual spending on infrastructure and development projects.