Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that the implementation of the Maldives Building Act would not only have an impact on the construction industry, but also on the infrastructure sector at large.
The Maldives Building Act would be in effect from October 23, 2017. Ministry of Housing has now begun work on formulating the 14 regulations mandated to be formulated before the implementation of the act. Although many assume that the Maldives Building Act would only oversee the construction of houses and flats, Minister of Housing Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said that the scope of the act is much more expansive. He said that instead of a legislation that applies to buildings, mega infrastructure projects also fall under the Maldives Building Act.
"Building is not just building houses. In the development we see today, building can be defined more expansively. Therefore, rather than focusing on just buildings, mega infrastructure projects also fall under the regulation. Quality assessment of bridges and harbors are also part of this law", he said.
The Maldives Building Act focuses mostly on maintaining the quality of buildings. Therefore, under the law, the ministry has been mandated to formulate a Building Code, and a Professional Code for the skilled workforce in the sector. A Safety Regulation and a regulation for testing equipment, also needs to be formulated.
The Maldives Building Act comes at a time when the construction industry is witnessing astonishing development in the country. The construction industry now generates the most income, after tourism in Maldives, according to statistics by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.