Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir Ali has revealed that USD2.3 million from the Zakat Fund was spent on medical treatment in the past three years. He made the statement in a letter to the Parliament of the Maldives in response to inquiries about the Zakat Fund.
Parliamentarian Ibrahim Rasheed inquired about the amount being utilised from the Zakat Fund for medical treatment as well as the policies under which the fund is being distributed. He also requested a breakdown of the expenditure for the last three years.
In the letter, Minister Zahir detailed that USD1.5 million was utilised from the Zakat Fund for medical treatment in 2019, USD412,000 was utilised in 2020, and USD469,000 was utilised in 2021. He added that the ministry utilises the Zakat Fund to support the poor and needy as well as others who do not have the financial capacity to seek medical treatment.