President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated the multi-party system in the Maldives should be more than combativeness and opposition.
Speaking at the official ceremony held to mark the 54th Republic Day of the Maldives, President Solih said the political and social division in the country was revealed three years ago.
The president said the distrust and antagonistic behaviour towards each other were revealed during those times and that those types of behaviour are not conducive to creating and maintaining a community, organisation, or country. He said the government has placed a high priority on maintaining social peace during the last three years and that the government's ideology is to agree to disagree and move forward together, despite politically opposing views.
Furthermore, President Solih noted the introduction of the minimum wage on November 9, which coincided with the Republic Day celebrations, comes as a long-awaited gift for the Maldivian people. The president highlighted the many societal benefits of adopting a minimum wage and said this policy would enable employers to hire capable employees, which would enhance productivity. He also underlined the necessity of providing an easier means of job matching for those who are unemployed and said the establishment of countrywide job centers is currently underway.
He added the government's services should be delivered in an efficient and timely manner. In this regard, he said the administration has made digitisation of all government services a top priority, which is included in next year's state budget.