President Solih outlines massive decentralization vision for Maldives

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has outlined his administration's massive decentralization vision for Maldives as main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) closes out their campaign for the upcoming elections.

The President detailed significant efforts being made on behalf of his government to decentralize governance in the Maldives, and to empower local councils for islands and cities outside the nation's capital in the coming months. President Solih noted that latest amendments to the Decentralization Act would allow more administrative mobility for councils, in addition to giving them the authority to make decisions independently, do business and own and distribute wealth.

President Solih further added that his administration had begun to decentralize essential services across islands of the Maldives in preparation to the shift away from centralized governance, highlighting that the government had now successfully initiated work to establish water and sanitation networks in all inhabited islands. In addition to this, President Solih remarked on the decentralization of critical health infrastructure and resources, a necessity made even more stark with the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic across islands of the Maldives.

Speaking at the event, President Solih also reiterated his administration's commitment to build a generation of educated youth across the Maldives. The President revealed that since it was launched in 2019, over 10,486 students were now pursuing first degrees under the government's Free First Degree Programmme.

President Solih also touched down on his administrations plans for establishing a high-speed passenger and cargo ferry network across the Maldives, adding that the first phase of the inclusive regional development project would kick-off in the Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls later this year. Further, President Solih noted that his administration had successfully upgraded the existing electrical service carrying capacity outside the Male' region by an additional 180 megawatts over the last two years.

On Thursday, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih went on to revealed that MVR 1.5 billion from next year's budget was reserved for regional housing development as well. In addition to this, the President remarked upon special loans the government would provide to help citizens secure housing, along with efforts being made to develop the fisheries and agriculture sector in the Maldives.

During his speech, President Solih affirmed that the government anticipates Maldives to recover from the current economic downturn caused by Covid-19 fairly swiftly, as an increasing percentage of the population receive their second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, while revenue-generating activities restart in earnest across islands of the Maldives.