President Muizzu is spending loan repayment funds on legacy projects, yet no results are visible: Shahid

MDP President Abdulla Shahid has stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is diverting funds intended for debt repayment toward "legacy projects," yet these initiatives have failed to yield any visible results.

In an interview with RaajjeTV’s "Fashaairu" program, Shahid stated that state spending must remain within its means. He further called for an end to "legacy projects" that are carried out solely for the purpose of building a reputation.

Questioning whether sand should be poured into the Fushidhiggaru Lagoon while the Maldives is mired in debt, Shahid stated that various figures are being cited as the cost of the reclamation project. He noted that this discrepancy exists because the government refuses to disclose the actual information.

"By the grace of God, we already have reclaimed land and several large islands across the Maldives with available space. Had we invested in these existing areas, the relief provided to our citizens over these five years would have been far more significant. Instead, funds that should have been allocated toward debt repayment are being spent on these so-called 'legacy projects'."

Abdulla Shahid

Shahid further stated that no issues would have arisen if the funds allocated for "legacy projects" had instead been utilized for debt repayment.

Furthermore, Shahid highlighted that the government continued to distribute jobs ahead of elections despite looming loan repayments. He noted that during the parliamentary election period, senior government officials traveled to various islands to issue employment letters. Shahid added that it is now far too late to be discussing the dismissal of employees.