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Yameen calls to prioritise development, insists state budget always carried debt

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has revealed development projects can be conducted by the current administration even after paying debt within two and half years.

Speaking in a press conference for the first time since the new administration took office, former President Yameen Abdul Gayoom said when he took office in 2013 the debt amounted to about USD 1.942 billion. In this regard, the former president revealed in the recent history no state budget was passed without a debt, adding his five year term ended with an annual debt of about USD 130 million.

Moreover, Yameen called on to continue the ongoing projects and to conduct new projects that would benefit the country rather than calculating statistics. He also noted the loans attained in the past five years were given 4 percent lower than the normal rates and are concessional interest loans.