Muththalib Seeks to Channel Vehicle Fees to State Budget

Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdulla Muththalib has requested the Parliament to establish a mechanism whereby vehicle fees currently collected by the Male' City Council are instead diverted to the national budget.

Responding to a question from MP Ahmed Zameer of the Machangolhi Central constituency during Monday’s parliamentary session, Minister Muththalib stated that the City Council receives approximately MVR 150 million annually from vehicle fees collected in Malé and Hulhumalé.

However, the Minister noted that while the council is tasked with the responsibility of road construction and maintenance, they lack even the basic technical capacity to repair a paved road after it has been cut open.

The City Council lacks even the basic capacity to repair the damage caused when they authorize the cutting of paved roads developed by the government. We have already established and shared clear standards and protocols outlining exactly how roads should be cut and the specific methods required for their repair. I believe the Council is failing in its responsibilities by not building the necessary capacity to produce and lay asphalt for road maintenance, despite having a budget of 150 million Rufiyaa. We must investigate where these funds are being directed. The central government is currently forced to step in to repair Ameenee Magu and the Ring Road when they are damaged. Even when the Council grants permission for a road to be cut, the burden of restoration ultimately falls back on us.

Dr. Abdulla Muththalib

Furthermore, the Minister stated that the government is forced to bear the responsibility of repairing major thoroughfares in Male', such as Ameenee Magu and Boduthakurufaanu Magu, after they are damaged. He noted that when the City Council authorizes road excavations but leaves them unrepaired, it causes significant hardship for the public. The Minister also revealed that the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has already been tasked with repairing several damaged sections of Boduthakurufaanu Magu and Ameenee Magu.

The Minister stated that he does not believe the council should receive those funds. He noted that if that portion is redirected to the state budget, road development projects could be executed much more effectively.