Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam has stated the government holds no policy of encouraging State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to enter the construction industry. He made the statement in response to a question at the Parliament of the Maldives expressing concern over SOEs entering the construction industry.
Speaking at the parliament, Minister Aslam said SOEs that do not hold a construction mandate are not encouraged by the government to enter the industry. As such, he noted the government has no plans to integrate companies such as State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) and Fenaka Corporation Limited as well as POLCO and SIFCO.
The planning minister stated the government will not award any construction project to SOEs that do not hold a construction mandate. However, he noted one project related to the security forces was awarded to SIFCO, as the security forces refused to allow any other company to work on the project.
The planning minister stated SOEs entering the construction industry might lead to a loss of focus on their original mandates. He expressed belief there should be a legal obstruction for SOEs to enter the construction industry.