86 individuals have been conferred the National Award for Public Service.

The ceremony to confer the National Awards for Public Service was held at Dharubaaruge on Thursday evening.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih presented badges, shields, and certificates to the 86 public servants during Thursday’s ceremony.

Among the recipients are two individuals who had served the state for more than 50 years.

As such, the ceremony saw the National Award for Public Service conferred to Sobira Waheed for her extensive services at the Malé Water and Sewerage Company Ltd. (MWSC) spanning over 50 years.

The recipients selected for the award by the National Awards Committee included 25 women.

Further, the recipients included civil servants who had served in several capacities in government offices and institutions.

President Solih extended congratulations to the recipients, at the ceremony.

The reception also saw Chief Librarian at the National Library Hawwa Nasiha addressing the ceremony on behalf of the recipients.

The awards were initially scheduled to be conferred in December 2022.

The nominations for the awards closed on 4 August 2022 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 in June 2022. 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 are also required to 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 is given to the criminal records of all nominees.

The committee considered the quality of the work of the nominees as well as their contributions to the development of their respective office or field, in selecting the winners.

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 is conferred to those who have served the nation for over 35 years and have been celebrated as resilient workers. The Awards Committee takes 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 are 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.