Muththalib urges MPs to contact him on island project queries

Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has asked Members of Parliament to contact him directly regarding questions on various island development projects, following a session in Parliament where multiple constituency-related issues were raised.

The minister was summoned to Wednesday’s sitting to respond to a question by Maradhoo MP Mauroof Zakir of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) concerning delays in the sewerage system projects in three islands of his constituency: Kudarikilu, Kihaadhoo, and Dhonfanu.

According to MP Mauroof, the sewerage works in these islands have been stalled for over eight months. He asked the minister to specify the project commencement and completion dates.

Responding to the question, Minister Muththalib stated that the water and sewerage projects were initially contracted to Fenaka Corporation by the then Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on 29 December 2022. However, the agreement was cancelled by the current administration on 13 June 2024 due to non-compliance with contractual terms.

The projects were subsequently reassigned to the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) on 10 October 2024, with a completion timeline of 720 days. The revised target for completion is 30 September 2026.

The estimated project costs are MVR 61 million for Kudarikilu, MVR 69 million for Kihaadhoo, and MVR 62 million for Dhonfanu. The minister said the delays were due to inadequate documentation and pending approvals from the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA).

“The project is currently undergoing design approval and subcontracting processes, along with site clearance and preparation,” he said. “The MWSC team was mobilised in Kudarikilu on 4 April 2025, and mobilisation in Donfanu and Kihaadhoo is expected before 15 May.”

Following the minister’s response, several MPs posed additional questions about infrastructure projects in their own constituencies. The minister did not provide specific answers to those queries during the session, stating that they were unrelated to the initial question. He advised MPs to contact him directly for detailed updates on individual projects.