President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the construction of 1000 housing units planned for Eydhafushi will commence this year. The President made this statement during a meeting with the residents of Eydhafushi. Eydhafushi is one of the 7 islands designated for development as an urban center. In his speech, the President mentioned that a medium and long-term plan for the country’s development has been formulated in the presidential manifesto, which has been well-received by the public. This includes developing various islands across the Maldives and implementing development projects in different regions, the President said. This also includes establishing urban centers, of which Eydhafushi is one, the President added. He also stated that this work is progressing.
In his speech, the President reiterated that the first year of the administration faced economic challenges, saying that development did not proceed at the pace he desired in the first year. However, as efforts to improve the economic situation have now yielded progress, development projects can be carried out at a faster pace in the future, he said. Highlighting that many promises have been made for Eydhafushi’s development, the President stated that providing housing is the most important.
The government had awarded the contract for constructing 1000 housing units in Eydhafushi to China’s Sino Hydro Corporation Limited in November of last year. Shedding light on this project, the President said that the actual work on this project will begin this year. The President also assured that this work would be completed within this term. “When starting the work on 1000 housing units, it might need to be divided into parts or batches or phases. We will start this 1000 housing project this year. These housing units will be available for people who want to come to this island under the population consolidation policy and those who want to stay on this island for economic reasons. This is a 100% feasible project,” the President said.
In his speech, referring to his vision of making the Maldives a developed nation by 2040, the President said that such development projects are being carried out with long-term planning in mind. He also said that these are very serious undertakings. During the President’s trip, the contract for the construction of a new building for Eydhafushi Hospital was awarded to RDC, and the development of a National University campus was awarded to MTCC. Commenting on this project, the President said that with the new hospital building, new services will come to the area. He said that all services needed for an urban center will be available from the hospital. Noting that Eydhafushi is an educational island, the President described the development of a National University campus as an effort to develop intellectual minds.
The President also said that preparations are now underway to start the second phase of road construction in Eydhafushi, and under this project, all roads on the island will be developed to modern standards. He also said that the ongoing work to solve the issues at the harbor will be completed within 6 months. Eydhafushi is also notable in sports. The President has said that important work will be done in this area as well.
“The most important thing is to build a sports indoor multi-complex where indoor sports can be played. The actual work on this will also begin this year. Across the Maldives, we have decided to build 5 multi-indoor complexes. This island is one of them. It will be a state-of-the-art complex where 1200 people can sit and watch sports,” the President said. The President said that a dollar ATM will be established in Eydhafushi this year, and a convention center is planned to be built next year. In his speech, the President noted that all development projects are proceeding in a specific order. The President also assured that he would complete all the projects he has promised during this term.
