The government has proposed a comprehensive state budget of USD 4.2 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, a financial plan highlighted by a landmark allocation aimed at securing the financial independence of the nation’s judiciary.
Presenting the proposed budget to the Parliament on Thursday, Minister of Finance and Planning, Moosa Zameer announced that a significant judicial grant has been included to fulfill a key promise made by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.
To ensure the financial autonomy of the judiciary, the budget has made provisions for USD 52.4 million as a sector-specific block grant. This move formalises President Dr Muizzu’s commitment to allocate a fixed percentage of state revenue to the judicial sector under a new regulatory framework.
According to Minister Zameer, this allocation represents an increase of USD 16.2 million compared to the judiciary’s current year expenditure, marking a decisive step toward eliminating financial dependency on the executive.
The overall budget proposal sees a proposed expenditure of USD 3.2 billion, an 11 percent increase over the current year’s spending. Recurrent expenditure dominates the proposed figures, accounting for USD 2.6 billion, or 62 percent of the total budget.
Minister Zameer attributed the largest portion of the expenditure hike to the government’s ongoing pay harmonisation policy, which includes a promised salary increase for all civil service employees, a commitment previously announced by the President. This significant investment is intended to establish parity across various governmental sectors and ensure competitive wages for state employees.