Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has requested to uphold the integrity of the country’s Finance Ministry.
The minister was summoned to the Parliament on Tuesday on accusations that the ministry withheld information regarding certain loans; accusations which the minister has repeatedly denied.
Speaking at Tuesday’s session, Minister Ameer said the integrity of the ministry must be maintained despite any criticism and disapproval directed at the minister. Noting that he is a member of main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party, MDP, the minister said the accusations raised by the parliament would reflect badly on the Maldives in the eyes of international financial institutions like the World Bank and the IMF. The minister does not wish to unfairly tarnish the image of the ministry, he added. If the debt statistics shared by the state is questioned by the parliament, it would hinder efforts to raise funds rom foreign institutes, said the minister.
Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed recently claimed that some information regarding loans borrowed from Bank of Ceylon, Bond Holders and Abu Dhabhi Fund for Development were not shared with the parliament. However, the parliament’s public finance committee’s chair and Kinbidhoo MP Ahmed Nashiz said the information was shared with the parliament.
