Deputy Speaker calls for termination of mismanaged Aasandha agreements

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim has called for the termination of Aasandha agreements that have been structured to benefit specific groups or parties. He made these remarks during the ongoing parliamentary debate on the 2025 state budget. Addressing the debate, Deputy Speaker Nazim highlighted the country’s critical economic challenges, noting that the proposed state budget aims to initiate an economic reset. He emphasised that achieving a full reset would require a series of three successive budgets. Nazim underscored the need for reforms in the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha, as part of a broader effort to restructure state-owned enterprises (SOEs). He revealed that investigations by the Public Accounts Committee had uncovered significant mismanagement, with evidence of certain parties misappropriating funds. The Deputy Speaker stated that Aasandha is in such a dire state that drastic measures are necessary for reform. He further disclosed that agreements between Aasandha and foreign hospitals involved third-party intermediaries, leading to unreasonably high charges from these hospitals. Nazim stressed that these arrangements were unsustainable and demanded immediate action to safeguard public funds. In addition to addressing issues with Aasandha, Nazim highlighted the importance of long-term planning to reduce national debt and liabilities while enhancing productivity. He urged the Ministry of Finance to actively implement reforms outlined for SOEs as part of efforts to reset the economy.