The government is set to commence the construction of 55 new local council secretariat buildings as part of efforts to address the dilapidated state of such buildings across the country, Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has revealed. This project, led by the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, is currently at the stage where the agreement is ready for signing, according to Minister Umar.
This initiative stems from a decision by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration to construct new buildings for local council secretariats on 55 islands, with the project funded by the government. Speaking on PSM News' 'Raajje Miadhu' programme, Minister Umar highlighted the longstanding neglect and lack of maintenance that local council buildings have endured under previous administrations. He pointed to the deteriorating state of numerous buildings, noting that several have gone unrepaired for years.
Minister Umar highlighted that his ministry has recognised the need to construct new buildings for local councils across 187 islands. In response, the administration has decided to build these facilities on 55 islands using a contractor-finance mechanism through the government's Public Sector Investment Programme (PISP), he explained. This project has already secured approval from the cabinet’s economic council, and the agreement is expected to be signed imminently, he added.
The project will be awarded to a Malaysia-based company, as stated by Minister Umar, with the agreement already submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for finalization. He revealed that the economic council approved the development of the 55 council buildings just two days ago.
In addition to this project, the administration had previously decided to construct local council secretariat buildings on 50 islands with assistance from the Chinese government. The new buildings are anticipated to be spacious and equipped with all the necessary features for local councils to efficiently fulfil their duties, according to the minister. The administration is committed to constructing new local council secretariat buildings on all inhabited islands during its tenure.