4 December 2009. Funds were disproportionately allocated for public sector investment programme (PSIP) in next year’s budget for constituencies represented by MPs of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance (DRP-PA), Mulaku MP Abdullah Yamin said at parliament yesterday. MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) defended the budget, arguing development projects would be undertaken under public-private partnerships (PPP)s. Presenting the budget last month, Finance Minister Ali Hashim said the budget had the confidence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Further, the budget for parliament was 16 per cent smaller than this year. Kendhoo MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali criticised the government for unilaterally reducing salaries for staff at independent institutions in next year’s budget. In the judiciary, the budget for the Supreme Court was lower by 33 per cent, the High Court by 42 per cent and island courts by 20 per cent.
