No state funds for Ras Male project, pres says

President Mohamed Muizzu announced on Wednesday that the Ras Male project will be carried out without state expenditures.

He made the statement while speaking at a ceremony held at Dharubaaruge by the Local Government Authority (LGA) to give away the ‘Kangathi Awards 2023’, to recognise the local councils' advancement, participation, and improvement. This award was conferred after ranking local councils under the Local Council Performance Index.

Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef and other senior government officials also attended the ceremony.

During his speech, the president reiterated that the administration’s policies are pro-Maldivian and prioritise the country and its citizens. He stated that during the presidential election, the housing crisis was the most often voiced concern, adding that this was the primary driving force behind his decision to address public concerns and launch a land reclamation project as extensive as the Ras Male development project within the first 14 weeks of office. He further assured that the project would be completed as promised.

He added that the additional tracts of land from Ras Malé and Gulhi Falhu as well as the further land reclamation at Giraavaru Falhu, and Hulhumale will provide a permanent solution to the age-old housing problem in the Maldives. He further stated that during this presidential term, various housing projects will be planned and carried out simultaneously throughout the nation, permanently solving housing issues.

The president affirmed that he would work closely with the people and listen to their needs and concerns, stating that he would meet with them frequently and visit all the islands in the country. He added that delegations, inclusive of ministers and officials of companies, will travel to all the islands starting this weekend to check on the condition of the people.

The president stated that a portal is being set up on the President's Office website so that every citizen can ask questions and submit their grievances, ideas, and hopes directly to the President.

In his remarks, the president also shed light on developmental projects planned for the future.

President Muizzu on Monday inaugurated Ras Male, marking the commencement of the Maldives' most extensive land reclamation project ever undertaken.

The president noted at the inauguration ceremony:

Highlighting that the city developed as Ras Male at Fushidhiggaru lagoon would result in the reclamation of 1,150 hectares of land, the president reaffirmed his pledge to complete the project within eight months of commencement. It would generate a land mass approximately three times the cumulative area of the two phases of Hulhumale, becoming the nation's most extensive land reclamation project ever undertaken, he added.

Sri Lanka's Capital Marine and Civil Construction (CMC) has been awarded a contract to reclaim land from Fushidhiggaru lagoon, the flagship housing and urban development project of the new government, despite the opposition-controlled parliament budget removing the funds for the project from the 2024 budget.

The budget proposal for next year included MVR 400 million for the project, but the MDP-controlled parliament approved the 2024 state budget without the funds.

The government has proposed to spend MVR 1.4 billion for the next three years: