The budget debate for the proposed 2025 budget submitted to the People's Majlis has concluded after 77 members spoke.

Concluding the Majlis session that continued the budget debate until around 9:15 PM tonight since last Thursday, Deputy Speaker of the Majlis, MP Ahmed Nazim of Dhiggaru constituency, said that 77 members had spoken in the budget debate and members had spent 14 hours and 17 minutes debating.

The government submitted a budget of MVR 56.6 billion for next year to the People's Majlis on October 31.

After Finance Minister Moosa Zameer presented the budget to the Majlis that day, the Speaker sent the budget to the Budget Committee for review.

However, as decided by the General Committee, the budget debate began on the Majlis floor on the 12th of this month, giving each member a 15-minute opportunity.

As separate sessions, after continuing the budget debate until 11:00 PM on the 12th and 13th of this month, the debate continued as one session from Thursday until tonight. That is, after suspending the work of that session when the allotted time for that day ends, starting the next session the following day. However, to conclude the debate today, the time was extended until 9:15 PM tonight.

According to Majlis regulations, the next step on the Majlis floor will be debating the committee report after the committee reviews the budget. That is when the committee submits the budget to the Majlis floor after reviewing it.

The General Committee has decided to give each member one 7-minute opportunity during the debate on the committee report.

The Budget Committee has set to complete the budget review work by tomorrow and submit the committee report to the Majlis floor.

The entire budget will be voted on the Majlis floor after debating that report, after giving members the opportunity to propose amendments to the budget, along with the amendments proposed by members that pass.

Presenting the budget to the Majlis, Finance Minister Moosa Zameer said that next year's expenditure will be MVR 49.2 billion, with MVR 35.9 billion as recurrent expenditure and MVR 13.3 billion as capital expenditure.

In addition, Zameer said the budget includes MVR 3.9 billion needed to repay state debt, MVR 378 million for capital releases to state companies and other investments, and MVR 3.2 billion allocated for government loans.

Zameer said that finding a desirable solution for housing and shelter, and making a large portion of the Maldivian population homeowners is one of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's biggest visions. As such, while MVR 1 billion has been included for issuing home ownership loans at 5% interest, this money will also pave the way for at least MVR 2 billion in housing loans to be given through Maldivian banks, the Minister said.

"In addition, MVR 1.8 billion has been allocated for new housing PSIP projects. Therefore, the budget I am submitting to this esteemed Majlis for approval for 2025 is the budget with the largest expenditure dedicated to home ownership by a government in one year in Maldivian history," Zameer said.

Zameer said the 2025 budget includes important projects needed for the health system. As such, next year's budget includes establishing a hospital specializing in cancer treatment and a mental health hospital. Additionally, the budget includes a hospital specializing in women and children, a hospital specializing in thalassemia patients, as well as expanding Hulhumale Hospital to 15 floors. The Minister also said this budget will prioritize expanding services provided by health centers and hospitals in different islands and developing those facilities.

"Making the assistance and subsidies given to citizens to ensure social protection into assistance given to those most in need, in the most equitable manner, is an important step the government has decided to take to strengthen the entire social protection system. As such, instead of the subsidies currently given to state companies that provide essential services, the system will be changed to identify the most needy Maldivian citizens and provide subsidies directly to the citizen's pocket, which has been included in next year's budget," the Minister said.

According to the Minister, the budget includes MVR 500 million to change and harmonize the salaries of all civil service employees who have not been pay harmonized so far and judiciary employees. He also noted that changes to the salaries of all other employees are planned for 2026.

The Minister said next year's budget deficit is MVR 9.4 billion, which is 7.8 percent of GDP. He also said the budget's primary deficit is MVR 3.8 billion, which is 3.2 percent of GDP.