Pres. announces plans to increase block grants issued to local councils

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to increase block grants issued to local councils.

He made this announcement while speaking to the residential community of Guraidhoo island of Kaafu atoll on Thursday.

Taking the podium at the meeting, the president announced his administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure local councils receive increased funding in the form of block grants, and additional revenue.

Shedding light on the necessity to reform the procedure of allocating a small portion of the state budget to local councils, the president announced efforts to allocate a share of the state’s revenue to councils.

In addition to this, he outlined his plans to allocate five percent of the existing block grants, exclusively to fund activities of Women’s Development Committees (WDCs).

Acknowledging the need for legal amendments to implement these changes, the president also shed light on the land reclamation project planned for the island.

The president assured that essential services like water, sanitation, and electricity for the reclaimed land will be designed to meet the needs of the residents.

Announcing that his administration plans to construct a building with several classrooms and a multipurpose hall to address the lack of space at the island’s school, the president noted that this endeavor would fulfill the council’s request for such an initiative.

In addition to this, Muizzu stated that once the health center development project concludes, it would be upgraded to a fully operational hospital.

This, he said, would mirror the aspirations of the people.