Maldives : Public Expenditure Review

The unifying theme of the public
expenditure review is the growth and poverty focus of public
expenditures, evolving around the question of how effective
public expenditures are in addressing Maldives'
overriding objective of reducing regional disparities and
income poverty, particularly in the outer atolls. Since
macroeconomic stability is a key prerequisite for sustained
high economic growth and poverty reduction, the soundness of
the fiscal framework and the issues of fiscal sustainability
and contingent liabilities are examined in Chapter 2. The
latter chapter also looks at the allocation of public
expenditures along the key economic categories as well as by
major sectoral/functional break-down, with specific
recommendations for reform measures. Chapter 3 focuses on
the institutional issues and challenges faced in public
expenditure management, including the coordination of
decision making and budgeting, planning and service
delivery, and monitoring and evaluation. Sectoral
allocations of public expenditures are evaluated in Chapter
4, with particular focus on education, health, and
infrastructure. Sectoral public expenditures are evaluated
in terms of their rationale for public sector intervention;
determining the appropriate instrument for achieving
technical efficiency; and their impacts/outcomes. Chapter 5
concludes by summing up overall reform priorities and
discussing planned next steps and follow-up support
activities to implement recommendations.