India has proposed to increase the aid budget for Maldives by over four times in the interim Union budget.
Acting Minister of Finance of India Piyush Goyal presented a state budget which increased the allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs for 2019-20. The budget was an increase of 6.5% from last year's budget estimates for 2018-19, but only about 3% from the revised estimates of current year.
In the budget, India has allocated about USD 367 million as aid to Maldives which is an increase of 460% compared to the last budget. Previously, India has assured Maldives of a USD 1.4-billion credit facility to Maldives during the recent trip of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to India.
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