The ‘National Awards for Public Service 2022’ are to be conferred in February 2023.

This was revealed by the President’s Office in a publication issued on Wednesday.

As such, the President’s Office revealed that the ceremony to present the ‘National Awards for Public Service 2022’ to recipients, has been delayed to 16 February 2023.

The awards were initially scheduled to be conferred this ongoing month.

Badges, shields, and certificates are to be conferred to recipients by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, during the ceremony.

The nominations for the awards closed on August 4 and by then, the National Awards Committee, mandated with evaluating and selecting recipients for the National Awards, received 110 nominations this year.

The government opened applications for the prestigious award on June 1. The assigned criteria for the awards were also publicized in the government gazette in early June. They include nominees not having criminal records, their adherence to company code of conduct, their progress at the company, their participation in company activities, their contributions towards the development of their respective field or the company and their attention to the tasks and duties assigned to them.

Further, nominees must also be clear of convictions or ongoing probes in cases related to serious crimes as defined under Section 22 of the Maldives Criminal Procedure Act. According to the committee, special attention will be given to the criminal records of all nominees.

The committee will be considering the quality of the work of the nominees as well as their contributions to the development of their respective office or field.

Introduced in 2021, the award mirrors the prestigious National Award of Honor and is presented to those who have served the nation for over 35 years.

The ‘National Award for Public Service’ will recognize the different achievements of nominees and the quality of their work and contributions towards the development of their respective fields will be taken into consideration. The award will be conferred to those who have served the nation for over 35 years and have been celebrated as resilient workers. The Awards Committee will be taking into consideration, the quality of their work as well as contributions towards the progress of their respective fields when the nominations are reviewed.

The award, similar to the “National Award of Honor”, also recognizes the individual achievements of nominees. Recipients will be awarded a plaque, badge and a commemorative shield.

The award was introduced by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during a meeting with his Cabinet of Ministers on February 23 in 2021, with the intention of recognizing and awarding those who have contributed significantly to the public sector.

National Awards 2022 will be presented in 33 categories similar to previous years and will be hosted during the official Republic Day function, where the president will confer the National Award for Public Service to the rightful recipients.