Minister of Housing and Urban Development Aminath Athifa has expressed confidence the housing projects announced under the electoral pledges of the administration will be completed by the end of the current term.
In response to a question from a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Development and Heritage, Housing Minister Athifa said the extended closure of government offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the progress of some projects undertaken by the ministry. However, she said projects which had been commenced before the lockdown imposed in Male’ City, as well as important administrative work related to new projects are currently ongoing.
One of the main electoral pledges of the administration includes the construction of 20,000 housing units in the Maldives. The housing minister expressed confidence the projects announced under the housing pledges of the administration will be completed by the end of the term. She also shared details of the work currently undertaken by the ministry in order to fulfill the pledges, including identification of individuals in need of housing, acquiring finances for the projects and the administrative work related to the projects.
The housing minister noted a project to construct to 1,700 housing units in Hulhumale’ Phase II has been contracted and commenced just before the lockdown, while contracts have been signed to construct another 2,000 housing units in the Greater Male’ Region. She added the ministry is also working on contracting a project to construct 4,000 housing units in the region, which is conducted under the aid of Exim Bank of India.
In addition, the housing minister noted a project to construct 3,000 housing units in the northern region of the Maldives had been announced by the administration. She said the project can only begin after acquiring the required guarantees to begin work, adding most of the required documents have been received by the ministry.