Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Dr. Abdullah Muththalib has stated that the flats provided by the government as housing are not assets given for generating income through renting, and such actions are in violation of the agreement. The Minister said this while answering public questions on the “Aahaadhey Bunaanan” program broadcast by the Voice of Maldives. The Minister highlighted that renting out flats to generate income is a significant issue. He stated that this infringes on the rights of those who lack housing.
“Renting out flats to generate income is indeed a major issue. As I’ve mentioned before, we are not giving anyone a set of assets to generate income. What we are doing is providing affordable housing to those facing housing difficulties,” Dr. Muththalib said.
The Minister further stated that misusing the housing provided by the government is a violation of the agreement in place. He also noted that such actions are not appropriate.
Moreover, the Minister has warned of legal action to prevent the renting out of flats provided through the government’s housing projects. Muththalib said that once the Housing Bill is passed, it will be easier to take action against such individuals.
“To prevent this, when the law is passed, God willing, it will include procedures and measures to take action against such individuals,” the Minister said.
The Minister stated that there will be opportunities to collect rent without going through court proceedings or facing significant difficulties for those who do not pay rent. Currently, the units are issued under a sale-purchase agreement, which makes it challenging for the state to take action.
