Muizzu’s government is spending an average of MVR 32 million every month to run Maldivian embassies abroad, according to figures released by the Foreign Ministry.
The information was shared in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by Sun News, seeking details on embassy expenses since the new administration took office in 2023. The ministry responded nearly three months later, providing limited data covering just October 2024 to January 2025.
As of January 31, the Maldives had 21 diplomatic missions. These missions employed 126 staff, including 78 political appointees and 48 foreign service officers.
Embassy spending breakdown
According to the ministry:
- Operational costs for the four months totaled MVR 21.66 million — an average of MVR 7.2 million per month.
- Payroll costs amounted to MVR 74.28 million, averaging MVR 24.8 million per month.
Malaysia embassy tops the list
The Maldives Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had the highest number of political appointees — 19 political staff and just two foreign service officers.
In just four months, the state spent over MVR 11 million on the Malaysia mission:
- MVR 1.07 million in operational costs
- MVR 10.75 million on salaries
Colombo and Bangkok missions follow
The Colombo Embassy had 16 political appointees and two foreign service officers, costing the state over MVR 8 million in four months — including MVR 1.5 million in operations and MVR 6.7 million in payroll.
The Bangkok Embassy employed eight political appointees and three foreign service officers, with total spending nearing MVR 6 million — MVR 524,000 in operational expenses and MVR 5.97 million in salaries.
The data reinforces growing criticism of the Muizzu administration’s heavy reliance on political appointees, even in diplomatic missions. Embassies have long faced allegations of nepotism and cronyism, and the new figures raise further questions about wasteful spending and lack of transparency in the government’s foreign service operations.
