Auditor General Orders Maalhos Council to Publish 2024 Land Registry

The Auditor General’s Office has stated that the AA. Maalhos Council failed to compile and publish a land registry for the year 2024, as mandated by the Maldives Decentralization Act.

The 2024 compliance audit report of the Maalhos Council Secretariat, released by the Auditor General’s Office, highlights that Section 23(a)(12) of the Decentralization Act mandates councils to compile and maintain a comprehensive land registry. This includes providing necessary data to the national authority responsible for the national land registry. The report further notes that under the Act, councils are required to maintain a registry of all council-owned land, including leased plots, vacant land, and areas designated for various purposes under the Land Use Plan. This registry must also be officially published in the Government Gazette.

However, the Auditor General’s Office stated that the Maalhos Island Council has failed to compile and gazette a land registry as mandated by law. This registry is required to detail all council-owned properties, including leased plots, vacant land, and areas designated for various purposes under the island's Land Use Plan.

Recommending measures to rectify the issue, the office instructed the council to compile and publish a comprehensive land registry in the Government Gazette. This registry must include all council-owned lands currently under lease, vacant plots, and land designated for various purposes under the Land Use Plan, as mandated by the Maldives Decentralization Act.