China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) has officially handed over two towers of the Vinares housing project to the Government of the Maldives.
Managing Director of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Suhail Ahmed signed the agreement to take over two of the 10 towers completed by CMEC at a special ceremony. CMEC officials also awarded a commemorative key to Vice President Faisal Naseem.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam noted that he had signed the agreement with CMEC to develop the housing units in 2009 as the then-housing minister. He detailed that CMEC was contracted to develop 4,000 housing units in three phases and that CMEC had built 1,000 housing units in Hulhumale’ in the first phase, while the company built another 796 units in Hulhumale’ and 704 units in the northern region of the Maldives in the second phase.
Additionally, Minister Aslam said that the Vinares housing project is the third phase of the agreement signed in 2009, even though construction began near the end of the previous administration’s tenure. He noted that the foundation works for most of the towers had not even begun when the current administration took office.
Furthermore, Minister Aslam said that applications will be open for the three-room Vinares flats and that the government will hold discussions with China on conducting more projects. He also praised CMEC for developing the towers with high-quality apartments and conducting one of the most valuable housing projects in the country.