Ibrahim Falaah, the leader of the ruling PNC parliamentary group, stated on Saturday that the public has never had such easy access to dollars as they do now.

While on MMTV, Falaah condemned the MDP's scheduled panel discussion regarding dollar shortages, labeling the event as a “mockery”.

Falaah noted that the public had demonstrated against the increasing costs of goods and services under the leadership of MDP Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed, stating that the government fell apart because Nasheed “lacked governance skills.”

Falaah stated that the dollar gained value in the Maldives because of the previous administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, which decided to print USD 8 billion.

“In reality, there has not been a day in recent times when dollars are more accessible to the general public than they are today,” Falaah stated.

He mentioned that Maldivians going abroad for medical care get USD 1,000 at the bank rate, and students studying abroad along with those traveling for Hajj and Umrah also obtain USD 1,000 at the bank rate.

“Individuals going overseas for different reasons with Visa, debit, credit, and other cards can obtain several thousand dollars at bank exchange rates,” he stated.

Falaah stated that the Sovereign Development Fund had USD 200 million when Solih's government assumed power in 2018, but only USD 2 million was left when the current administration started.

He claimed that the MDP administration financed all significant projects through borrowing and that the 19th Parliament, which was dominated by the MDP, did not approve the state budget or execute revenue-generating measures.