President says Male projects will not hinder island life revival

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Monday that carrying out major infrastructure projects in the congested capital of Male will not become an obstacle to the development of the ruling MDP's island life revival policies and vision.

The Solih administration came to power with a pledge to eliminate the causes driving migration to Male and develop a decentralised nation. However, many people express concerns that the government's plans are still not showing results in solving the congestion in Male. 

Speaking to reporters after the closing ceremony of the 'Viavathi Raajje' councillor's symposium in L. Gan, the president defended his government’s policies. 

The president said that the migration of people from islands to Male was an issue "inherited" due to the policies of various governments since the 1950s. Regardless, the president believes that the issues faced in Male must also be resolved and development projects should be carried out in Male as well.

"We need to find solutions for the problems in Male. Housing must be established for Male residents and solutions need to be found for traffic congestion as well," he said.

"I will not say that these ongoing development projects in Male' are an obstacle to the development of the whole country as an island nation."

The president said that basic community services must be provided in the islands along with the development projects in Male. He noted that his government was executing it well.

"A lot of work needs to be done to provide basic services in the islands. This will produce results in the long run. Today, we still have not been able to stop internal migrations to Male," he said. 

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 'Viavethi Raajje' conference, the president said that migration to Male can only be stopped if residents of the islands are assured of access to all basic services and more. The president reiterated these remarks in response to questions from the press.

"Providing better education, health services and employment to islanders, and even harbour facilities to safeguard the vessels of the island; these are factors that will change the preference of city life over country life. These are reasons that caused migrations in the first place, and I feel that changing these reasons are crucial to changing such mindsets," he said.

"Therefore, the work being done now will be of great benefit in the long run".

One of the comments made by some councillors at the 'Viavethi Raajje' conference was the use of existing large land areas such as in Laamu Atoll instead of land reclamation.

The president said it was a "good idea", but did not elaborate his support for it.

"Some islands need to increase their land space to accommodate their growing  populations. It is not the best way to force people from one place to another" said the President.

"We have to provide services. People will follow”.

The president said he believes that regional hubs should be made in the atolls and to ease congestion in islands with large populations such as Laamu Atoll, housing plans had to be made and executed.

"We have plans to carry out housing projects in L.Gan, to make the airport international, and build resorts in this atoll. The Covid-19 pandemic had backtracked our plan for two years, but these projects are now underway. This is an ideal place for further development; it can become an important hub, an economic hub," he said.