Friday 22nd Nov 2024
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Government expenditure

Who does the state spend on the most among former presidents?

The Ministry of Finance has disclosed the details of state-issued compensation received by all former presidents.
According to the Former Presidents Protection and Benefits Act, any former president who served a term in office will receive a monthly allowance in addition to accommodation, security, and medical expenses.
TMJ requested the Ministry for the details of the benefits received by ex-presidents via a right to information request.
According to the statistics released by the Ministry, four former presidents receives financial compensation from the state, at the moment. These four presidents collectively have received MVR 115,290,660 (MVR 115.3 Million).

President Maumoon Receives the most

Statistics showed that President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom received the highest figures in allowances annually. Consequently, president Maumoon has received an average of MVR 4 million annually, where in some years he had received sums larger than MVR 5 million in allowances.
President of 30 years, Maumoon had received a total of MVR 54.4 million in allowances since 2010.

Allowance granted to President Maumoon annually

  • 2010: MVR 5.3 Million
  • 2011: MVR 4.3 Million
  • 2012: MVR 4.4 Million
  • 2013: MVR 5.1 Million
  • 2014: MVR 4.2 Million
  • 2015: MVR 4.6 Million
  • 2016: MVR 4.7 Million
  • 2017: MVR 3.6 Million
  • 2018: MVR 3.6 Million
  • 2019: MVR 3.7 Million
  • 2020: MVR 4.1 Million
  • 2021: MVR 4.1 Million
  • 2022: MVR 2.2 Million
President Maumoon receives MVR 900,000 as a financial allowance, MVR 2.1 Million in former president’s office expenses and MVR 600,000 in accommodation, annually. Furthermore, the state has spent varying amounts each year on his medical expenses as well.

President Nasheed has the second largest numbers

With the exception of President Maumoon, the state disburses the most on former president and Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed. He receives MVR 3 million on average annually.
President Nasheed has received a total of MVR 33.2 million in ex-president benefits since 2012.

Allowance granted to President Maumoon annually

  • 2012: MVR 2.9 Million
  • 2013: MVR 3.3 Million
  • 2014: MVR 3.6 Million
  • 2015: MVR 3.3 Million
  • 2016: MVR 3.2 Million
  • 2017: MVR 3.3 Million
  • 2018: MVR 3.3 Million
  • 2019: MVR 2.1 Million
  • 2021: MVR 3.7 Million
  • 2022: MVR 1.7 Million
President Nasheed has not taken allowances for financial or accommodational purposes since 2020. He received MVR 2.1 million from the former president’s office expenses and any additional annual expenses financed on Nasheed’s behalf were all medical related.

Benefits to President Waheed

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik does not accept financial allowance. Although he does take the accommodation allowance and ex-president office expenses. President Dr. Waheed has received MVR 2.7 million annually, since 2014. This constitutes a total of MVR 23.2 million spent on him till today.

President Yameen received the least amount in benefits

The state has spent the least amount of money on President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom in allowances paid to former presidents.

President Yameen does not take many allowances taken by other presidents, such as funds for former president’s office expenses. He has received a total of MVR 1.2 million in benefits issued by the state.

Allowance granted to President Yameen annually

  • 2018: MVR 146,666.66
  • 2019: MVR 1.2 Million
  • 2020: MVR 1.2 Million
  • 2021: MVR 1.2 Million
  • 2022: MVR 600,000
The state has spent a total of MVR 4.3 million on former President Yameen, till today.

Although a total of MVR 4.3 million was spent on President Yameen within the last five years, the total finances utilized by other former presidents in the first five years post-administration surpasses this figure significantly. President Maumoon had accepted MVR 19.1 million within five years post-administration, where President Nasheed took MVR 16.3 million.