Parliament on Monday approved the four cabinet ministers, following President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's recent decision to reshuffle his cabinet.
The nominations were submitted to the Government Oversight Committee during an extraordinary parliamentary session held on Thursday. President Dr Muizzu formally proposed the names of the four cabinet ministers for parliamentary consideration. The cabinet reshuffle had been executed on 26 December.
The Oversight Committee had endorsed the reappointment of the four ministers during a sit-down on Sunday.
The nominated ministers are as follows: Minister of Finance and Planning, Moosa Zameer; Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed; Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Dr Maryam Mariya; and Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib.
During the Extraordinary Session on Monday, the Parliament signed off on the committee's endorsement to approve the four ministers with the majority lawmakers voting in favour.
Minister Zameer’s nomination was passed with 69 votes, Minister Haidar got 63 votes, while both Minister Mariya and Minister Muththalib were approved with 70 votes in favour.
In conjunction with the cabinet reshuffle, President Dr Muizzu has also restructured the responsibilities of several ministries. According to the President's Office, the newly reorganised Ministry of Finance and Planning will now oversee land utilisation, urban development, national development planning, and statistics—duties that were previously managed by the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development.
President Dr Muizzu also dissolved the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development. In its place, the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure has been established, replacing the former Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure. This newly formed ministry will now be responsible for executing social housing projects and formulating housing policies, including those related to social housing.