Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar has announced that all ministries and companies have appointed focal points to assist councils in monitoring the progress of projects in the islands.
Speaking to an exclusive interview with PSM News, Minister Adam Shareef emphasised his commitment to strengthening the relationship between councils and ministries, and to creating an accessible environment for service access. He noted that councils face challenges in tracking project progress and often lack information about the responsible agencies and contacts, complicating accountability to the public.
Additionally, Minister Adam Shareef highlighted his priority to address these issues by enhancing intergovernmental relations and facilitating service access. He noted that focal points have been established in each ministry and company to provide project information, in collaboration with the President's Office.
Furthermore, Minister Adam Shareef emphasised the government's goal to enable councilors to attend important meetings in their islands, reducing the need to travel to Male' City. As such, he said that a system will be developed to streamline meeting arrangements and expedite work completion.
Moreover, Minister Adam Shareef said that the cities ministry has divided the country into seven clusters, assigning an employee to manage each atoll’s affairs. He said that the structure has improved the identification and resolution of island issues by providing relevant information to agencies promptly. He also said that the ministry is monitoring council affairs, resulting in positive changes and an improved relationship between councils and the central government, accelerating work progress.