Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef Umar has revealed the goal of further empowering and expanding the role of councils. The statement was made by the minister during the ceremony held to inaugurate "Kolhumadulu Israhvehinge Mahaasintha 2024".
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Adam Shareef emphasised the importance of expanding the role of councils, as they are the voice of residents, forwarding the concerns of residents to the government. The minister highlighted that the current decentralisation system was introduced to the Maldives and that the Constitution was also amended, aimed at changing the decentralisation system. He noted that several amendments have also been brought to the Decentralisation Act to this date.
Furthermore, Minister Adam Shareef recognised the efforts of previous administrations to improve the decentralisation system. The minister added that when the current decentralisation system was introduced, the government acknowledged that several systematic reforms were required. However, he stated that as counsellors are elected from the votes of residents, they have the opportunity to voice the concerns of residents. He additionally noted that not all decisions will be made by Male' City as well.
The symposium, held in Veymandoo, Thaa Atoll, was attended by president's and secretary generals of island councils in Thaa Atoll and senior officials from administrative bodies within the atoll. The symposium is set to conclude on November 3.