The government’s expenditure towards Covid-19 response efforts has reached MVR three billion.

Latest statistics publicized by the Ministry of Finance reveal that the total Covid-19 expenditure related to the health and social sectors sat at MVR 1,504.3 million by, February 25 whereas the total economic response expenditure reached MVR 1,545.2 million by then.

According to the ministry, the total expenses made towards health and social efforts as well as economic response within the review period was an increase of 0.4 percent in comparison to the previous week.

Out of the total health and social efforts expenses, 41.7 percent was committed spending and the Ministry of Health was observed to have registered the highest spending in terms of week-on-week spending.

As such the ministry made a contribution of MVR four million during the week, a majority of which was for employee allowances.

Out of the MVR 376.8 million the ministry has spent so far on health and social response efforts since it began, MVR 205.2 million was for supplies and requisites for service provision, MVR 80.3 million was for capital equipment, MVR 54.5 million for operational services as well as MVR 11.6 million for travel expenses.

Further, the ministry made a additional disbursement of MVR 6.3 million to be disbursed as Income Support Allowances over the one-week period as part of the economic response efforts.

Since the health and social recovery efforts began, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has registered a total of MVR 868 million out of which MVR 362.7 million was for supplies and requisites for service provision, MVR 112.5 million for capital equipment, MVR 114 million for operational services as well as MVR 63.8 million for supplies and requisites.

Overall, Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) spent MVR 91.7 million by February 25, out of which MVR 4.4 million was for capital equipment, MVR six million for supplies and requisites as well as MVR 6.8 million for operational services.

Throughout the response efforts, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) has spent a total of MVR 31 million thus far, and the National Social Protection Agency has contributed MVR 11.3 million as grants contributions and subsidies.

MVR 37.3 million out of the total health and social expenses was from the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure and MVR 43.5 million from the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF).

Other contributors include the Ministry of Higher Education having spent MVR 3.3 million, the National Drug Agency having spent MVR 1.2 million, the Ministry of Tourism with MVR 28.7 in expenses, the Gender Ministry at 3.9 million in expenses. The Foreign Ministry also spent 6.8 million, and the Maldives Immigration, MVR 900,000.

Government institutions have thus far spent a total of MVR 652.6 million for supplies and requisites to provide services, MVR 200.5 million for capital equipment as well as MVR 186.7 million for operational services.