Thursday
25th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Maldivian soldiers patrolling the street.
The government has proposed a total MVR3.3 billion to be spent on security and defence services, particularly the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Police Service.
The current State budget for the MNDF had been MVR 2.7 billion; which had been MVR 1.3 billion for the MNDF, and MVR 1.5 billion for the MPS. Noticeably, the current budget proposal has exceeded the previous year by MVR 268 million. The MNDF's biggest estimated expense in the coming year has been for logistical support services at MVR 665.9 million.
The MNDF's proposed expenses in the coming year:
- Executive and administrative services (MVR 200 million)
- Combat and manoeuvre forces (MVR 337 million)
- Logistic support services (MVR 666 million)
- Functional commands (MVR 208 million)
- Combatant commands (MVR 122 million)
The Maldives Police Service has been estimated to get MVR 1.8 billion in the coming year. This exceeds the current budget by MVR 306 million. The biggest expense of the MPS is estimated to be Divioionsal Operational Command at MVR 446 million.
The Police's proposed expenses in the coming year:
- Executive and corporate services (MVR 77 million)
- Training and development (MVR 73 million)
- Professional Standard Command (MVR 9 million)
- Specialist Support (MVR 112 million)
- Forensic Services (MVR 49 million)
- Resource Management (MVR 167 million)
- Support Services (MVR 169 million)
- Crime Investigation Command (MVR 117 million)
- Directorate of Intelligence (MVR 126 million)
- Central Policing Command (MVR 420 million)
- Divisional Operational Command (MVR 446 million)
While the budget for the security services has been increased, the Majlis' 241 Committee's inquiry into the May 6 attack on Speaker Nasheed showed that there were major obstacles to clear communication and co-operation between different departments of the security services.