Pres assures Thilafushi land sale policy revision to protect locals
MACI's statement said the president assured that land would not be given from Thilafushi in a way that would harm Maldivian businesses.
By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has pledged to amend the policy of selling land for industrial purposes from Thilafushi to ensure that Maldivian businesses do not suffer.
HDC has decided to allot 50 plots of land from the newly acquired area in Thilafushi. Thus:
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90% of land will be reserved for Maldivians
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Locals who acquire land can own these lands
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Land given to foreigners are on lease for 99 years
Opposition parties have also expressed concern that the land allotment policy in Thilafushi is depriving local traders of equal opportunity to acquire land there.
At a meeting held at the President's Office on Monday with members of the Governing Committee of the Maldives National Association of Construction Industry (MACI), president Solih announced changes to the land sale regulations in Thilafushi.
In a statement, MACI said that during the meeting, president Solih shared the concerns raised by the traders and those who are using thilafushi land for industrial and construction purposes and commercial purposes regarding the sale, lease and distribution of land from Thilafushi. Here are some of the things that were shared with the President at the meeting:
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Problems faced by those who have now taken land from Thilafushi
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To increase land further as it is not enough for businesses
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Purchase of land for Maldivians through Bank of Maldives (BML) and other banks
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How to get money to grow business
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To have a uniform approach towards foreigners and locals
MACI's statement said the President assured that land would not be given from Thilafushi in a way that would harm Maldivian businesses.
"... The President said that HDC’s regulations for sale and lease of land from Thilafushi will be discussed and amended to ensure that Maldivian businesses are not damaged," MACI said in the statement.
As per the information released by HDC, under the first phase of allotment of land from Thilafushi for industrial purposes:
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A total of 4,49,360.85 sq ft of land will be auctioned
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The minimum bid rate is MVR 1,700 per sq ft.
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Going by this rate, Thilafushi land sales should amount to a minimum of MVR 763.9 million
Related
Related
Foreign project contractors ineligible for Thilafushi land: HDC
Opposition threatens to seize Thilafushi land once in power
Govt slams opposition for 'misleading' public on land sale
