President Revises Timeline, Pledges to Settle Overdue Bills in 14 Days

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assured residents of Machangoalhi last night that pending government bills would be paid within 14 days, after which payments would be regularised.

This marks a new timeline for clearing outstanding bills. On 2 October, President Muizzu had previously said the government would settle overdue payments within five weeks.

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Speaking to Machangoalhi residents in Malé as part of his ongoing meetings with communities across the capital, the President said the government is working to ensure backlogged payments are addressed as quickly as possible.

“[You] will receive [the money] within a maximum of seven days, or at most 14 days. That’s the goal,” he said.

He explained that delays stemmed from a large number of unpaid bills inherited from the previous administration, amounting to approximately MVR 2 billion. He said the government had been working continuously to clear these payments. He also noted there had been a backlog of MVR 250 million owed to fishermen, which took 14 months to resolve, after which payments resumed on a regular schedule.

“We are aiming to clear it by the end of the year. Hopefully, the backlog will be resolved in the next phase, and then we can start paying for the work that has been completed soon,” he said.