Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muththalib has said that providing water and sewerage services to all islands in the Maldives by the end of next year is a goal of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and based on how the work is progressing, it will be achieved. The Minister said this while answering questions from members in the People’s Majlis regarding water and sewerage projects ongoing in various islands of the Maldives.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muththalib said that water and sewerage projects handed over to Fenaka Corporation by the previous government had stalled and were not being carried out according to the agreement, so that agreement was terminated and the projects were reassigned to MWSC to be carried out. The Minister also said it was noted that projects had been implemented without obtaining necessary permits from the Utility Regulatory Authority and without finalizing designs, and that subcontracts had been made with private companies without obtaining required permissions from the Tender Board, in violation of the agreement.
The Minister said that now the projects have been handed over to MWSC, and work is being done to resolve the previously identified issues. As such, Dr. Muththalib said that work is being done to obtain the necessary permits from the Utility Regulatory Authority and to mobilize for starting practical work.
“MWSC is working on resolving those issues and mobilizing to start the work. Work is progressing in a way that will achieve the President’s decision to provide water and sewerage to all islands by the end of 2026,” said Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muththalib.
Minister Muththalib said that water, sewerage, and electricity services have not been established in reclaimed areas of various islands since 2010. Therefore, he said it has been included in the budget to carry out such work as a single project, and that work will proceed on a contractor finance or loan finance basis. “Such a project requires a large investment. When looking to make such a large investment, instead of spending from the state budget, we are working on finding parties to carry out the work through a mechanism of contractor finance or loan finance,” said Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muththalib.
Minister Muththalib also said that in many islands where water and sewerage work has been completed, services have not started because some documentation required by the Utility Regulatory Authority has not been received from contractors after commissioning. However, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muththalib said that work is being done to start those services as soon as possible by easing the Utility Regulatory Authority’s regulations in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment.
