Muththalib says funding secured for all housing projects
He said the flats would be built with assistance from India, China and Saudi Arabia.
Housing Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib said on Tuesday that the 7,900 flats announced under the government’s “Housing for All” scheme are fully planned and funded.
Speaking on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme, the minister said all housing projects under the scheme had been formulated and secured with financing.
He said the flats would be built with assistance from India, China and Saudi Arabia. He added that the Bank of Maldives has also launched a separate project to develop 3,300 flats.
According to the minister, 4,000 housing units will be constructed in Gulhifalhu under a Line of Credit from the Government of India, with work expected to begin by the middle of this year. A further 400 units will be built with assistance from Saudi Arabia, and 500 units will be constructed under an interest-free loan from China.
“These 7,900 units are fewer than the number already guaranteed. We cannot say that the flats we have announced do not exist,” Muththalib said.
He said each project had been planned and financed and that projects supported by foreign partners would follow established procedures.
Muththalib said the current administration would be the first since 2008 to complete a housing project and hand over units to beneficiaries.
The deadline to apply for flats under the scheme is 17 April.
A total of 7,900 flats will be allocated under the allocation rules. The breakdown is as follows:
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Malé residents: 4,000 flats
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Non-residents in Malé: 1,500 flats
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Single parents with children under 18: 100 flats
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Persons with disabilities: 100 flats
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Newlyweds and young families: 250 flats
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Family-based taxi drivers registered in Malé: 50 flats
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Family-based tourism workers in Malé: 200 flats
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Family-based judiciary employees in Malé: 100 flats
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Family-based fishermen in Malé: 100 flats
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Persons deprived of land ownership due to maiming: 50 flats
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Applicants from Veshifahi Malé and Hiyaa schemes who did not receive flats in line with documents: 500 flats
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Families without accommodation identified by the government: 50 flats
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Police: 100 flats
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Maldives National Defence Force: 100 flats
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Civil Service: 200 flats
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Maldives Correctional Service: 100 flats
In addition, 400 flats will be allocated to government agencies and institutions, including the President’s Office, Parliament Secretariat, Maldives Inland Revenue Authority, Local Government Authority, Judicial Service Commission, Elections Commission, Civil Service Commission, Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, Anti-Corruption Commission, Prosecutor General’s Office, Auditor General’s Office, Maldives Monetary Authority, Pension Office, National Integrity Commission, Media and Broadcasting Commission, Family Protection Authority, Arbitration Centre, Children’s Ombudsman Office, Institute of Chartered Accountants, Capital Market Development Authority, Employment Tribunal and the Tax Appeal Tribunal.
