Separate councils will give Addu islands independent budgets, president says

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said that if separate island councils are formed in Addu, each island will receive its own block grant instead of being managed under a single city council budget.

The President made the remarks on Monday during a visit to L. Fonadhoo, where he referred to the upcoming referendum in Addu scheduled for Saturday. The vote will be held in Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo, where residents will decide whether to form independent island councils.

President Muizzu said that residents of the three islands had raised the issue during last year’s presidential election and requested a solution. He said the government’s decision to hold the referendum was part of fulfilling his campaign pledge.

“I promised that I would work to bring about a permanent solution. I can do that by asking the people and through the legal system,” he said.

The President stressed that the government does not favour any particular outcome in the vote but has a responsibility to explain the implications of each option.

He stated that, under a decentralised structure, each new council would receive its own annual budget allocation:

“Currently, there is one budget for the whole city. There is no separate budget for Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, or Meedhoo,” he said.

The referendum marks the first time such a vote will be held under the country’s new referendum law, which allows for a poll in specific areas.

Addu City has been governed by a single city council since its establishment in 2011. Calls for separate island councils in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo have been made repeatedly over the years.