Five percent of 2020 state income to be given to local councils

For the 2020 budget, five percent of the state income will be given to the local councils, says Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer.

The Minister said this at Kurumba Maldives while inaugurating the Decentralization Symposium, hosted by Transparency Maldives.

At the inauguration ceremony, Minister Ameer said that the income the state receives from land leases will also be distributed to the councils.

Minister Ameer said that the government prioritizes decentralization in politics and in finance and that him inaugurating the Decentralization Symposium shows that they are ready to commit to decentralization at the legal level.

He said that the tourism master plan and the national development plan also prioritizes decentralization and that the Finance Ministry has also established a local council coordination to financially strengthen atoll and island councils.

He added that the support of the government, councils, and individuals is needed to establish a fully decentralized system.