Auditor General's Office (AGO) has stated the Maldives Police Service (MPS) used its budget during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in accordance with the established laws and regulations.
AGO stated that its compliance audit of MPS has found that the institution used its funds during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the state regulations and the policies set by the Ministry of Finance. The audit report has revealed the budget set for MPS in 2020 and the amount that remained by the end of the year. The report shows MPS received a budget of USD 2 million in 2020 and spent USD 1.7 million to provide the allowance for frontline police officers during the pandemic.
Additionally, over USD 1 million was spent on accommodation in 2020, while USD 1,936 was spent on travel, USD 40,000 was spent on renovations, and USD 23,000 was spent on various other works. The audit report shows around USD 114,000 remained in the budget by the end of 2020.
The AGO stated that the Parliament of the Maldives passed a motion in 2020 to conduct audits on state expenditure, aid, and debt each quarter. The office stated the audits are being conducted to determine whether state funds are being used efficiently and in accordance with the policies set by the finance ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic.