Gov’t’s claim of massive unpaid bills from previous administration exposed as false!
State media reported unpaid bills of USD 583 million while the Auditor General's official 2023 statement shows only MVR 3.12 billion in total state payables
Person counts Maldivian Rufiyaa notes
The amount the current administration claims was left unpaid by the previous government does not align with figures in the official audit report.
State media outlet PSM News reported that the former administration had unpaid bills to private companies totaling USD 583 million, which is approximately MVR nine billion.
However, the State Financial Statement for 2023, published by the Auditor General’s Office, shows entirely different figures.
This major discrepancy has also been underscored by Ismail Zariyand, an experienced audit professional.
He emphasized that the State Financial Statement confirms that the total amount payable by the state at the end of 2023, as determined by the Auditor General, was MVR 3.12 billion.
Zariyand noted that over the past decade, end-of-year payables have generally ranged between one and two billion Maldivian Rufiyaa. While the amount increased in 2023, it remains nowhere near the MVR nine billion claimed by PSM.
