The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has announced it is moving to rebuild its Monitoring Section, which was disbanded in 2020, after discovering that more than USD 648,500 in social‑assistance funds had been deposited into the accounts of deceased individuals.
NSPA, the government body tasked with delivering financial aid to low‑income single parents, persons with disabilities, caregivers of orphaned children and poor families for food purchases, said the dissolution of its monitoring unit weakened oversight and allowed ineligible payments to continue unchecked.
Speaking to PSM News, NSPA Chief Executive Officer, Aminath Shirna described monitoring as one of the most crucial components of providing social assistance. She noted that the hiatus led to significant financial losses for the state, with funds repeatedly flowing to accounts of people who had already passed away.
According to Shirna, out of roughly 15,000 beneficiaries registered with NSPA, the agency identified more than 700 individuals who had died yet continued to receive aid over the years.
Under the former Monitoring Section, regular updates were kept on residents of the Guraidhoo Centre and other registered beneficiaries to reflect changes in living status or income. When those operations stopped, the agency lost the ability to flag deceased recipients or altered circumstances, resulting in the mis‑allocation of funds.
Shirna said the agency is now actively working to re‑establish the monitoring unit and strengthen the overall verification system to prevent further leakage of public funds. The agency aims to restore timely updates on beneficiary status and ensure that social‑assistance reaches only those who are eligible and in need, she added.