The Parliament has approved a supplementary budget of MVR 5.8 billion for the remainder of the year.
The Finance Ministry presented a supplementary budget of MVR 5.8 billion to Parliament on October 31 to cover the expenditure of this year's budget. The supplementary budget was presented along with the estimated budget for next year.
During Monday's Parliament sitting, 61 members voted in favor of the supplementary budget, while eight voted against it.
The Parliament has passed the supplementary budget while a constitutional case has been filed in the Supreme Court alleging that the budget was presented in violation of the Constitution.
Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed had also expressed concern about the supplementary budget. Nasheed said this year's supplementary budget should not have been presented with next year's budget.
Nasheed also noted that the Constitution states that no more should be spent than the amount approved by the Parliament. Nasheed said the Finance Act stipulates that if a supplementary budget is submitted to Parliament for approval, it must be submitted to Parliament one month before the funds are needed.
Some opposition MPs have also said that the supplementary budget was presented against the Constitution.
