President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu has described the International Zero Carbon Island initiative as a crucial step forward in the global push for climate action. He made these remarks at the launch event organised by Shandong Province, China, on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

President Dr Muizzu acknowledged President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government’s commitment to green and low-carbon development, as well as their continued support for the Maldives’ environmental efforts. He highlighted China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, praising it as an inspiring example of leadership and commending China’s role in advancing global climate action.

The President emphasised that low-carbon development is a necessity, given the escalating impacts of climate change. He underscored the urgency of reducing emissions and protecting the environment, stressing that the Maldives and other vulnerable nations are determined to be active leaders in driving a sustainable future, rather than merely victims of climate change.

Highlighting the importance of multilateral cooperation, President Dr Muizzu stated that the Maldives’ participation in global forums serves as a reminder that small island nations are committed to shaping a sustainable and resilient future. He affirmed that the Maldives would take control of its own destiny by embracing leadership in climate action.

He expressed confidence that the forward-thinking, low-carbon policies implemented will provide valuable insights and serve as a model for the Maldives and other island nations striving for sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. He stressed that climate action requires a collective effort and called on COP29 countries to come together to agree on a climate finance goal.

Following the event, President Dr Muizzu and H.E. Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China had a brief meeting where they discussed further strengthening cooperation.

Additional street lights have been installed in Hulhumale’ Phase Two, illuminating a large area.

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has installed street lights and illuminated the roads in Phase Two.

HDC stated that as part of their efforts to make Hulhumale’ a comfortable and safe place, their team has installed additional street lights in Phase Two, lighting up a large area.

In response to the illumination of a large area in Phase Two, Hussein Shareef (Hussenbe), the PNC member representing the Hulhumale’ North constituency in the People’s Majlis, said that the street lights in Phase Two, which had been neglected for some time, have now been completed as promised by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Hussenbe expressed his gratitude to the President for this accomplishment.

It is noteworthy that HDC continues to work towards making Hulhumale’ a safe and secure place for residents

The Ministry of Finance has announced plans to modify the Aasandha service, requiring the wealthiest individuals to contribute partially to their medication and outpatient services costs.

The state budget for the coming year is estimated at 56.6 billion rufiyaa, with 1,852.9 million rufiyaa allocated for Aasandha expenses. This is 19.0% lower than the estimated Aasandha expenses for the current year.

According to the Economic and Fiscal State and Outlook Report for next year’s budget, Aasandha expenses account for 5.1% of the 2025 budget’s recurrent expenditure. The budget includes Aasandha expenses based on the expectation that the system will be reformed and costs will be reduced.

Some changes and planned modifications include:

1. Expansion of bulk procurement of medications.
2. Implementation of a central procurement system to reduce drug prices.
3. Review of current prices set by Aasandha for certain medications.
4. Targeting the wealthiest individuals to contribute partially to their medication and outpatient services costs.
5. Introducing a pre-payment system for income tax payers to contribute to financing the system.
6. Establishing package prices for services provided at private hospitals and facilities under the Aasandha scheme.

These changes are expected to be implemented during 2025, and it’s anticipated that they will help reduce the rate of increase in Aasandha expenses in the medium term.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan, head of the Police Service Development, has stated that the review of the police medical welfare scheme is aimed at reducing waste and that it will not result in any reduction or change to the current allowances.

Shifan made this statement in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the government’s decision to transition the military and police medical welfare scheme to a private insurance system.

He said that the medical scheme for police officers will be reviewed to minimize waste as much as possible. Shifan also emphasized that the police leadership has no intention of reducing any of the current allowances provided to officers through this process.

According to the State Budget Position Report released by the Ministry of Finance, although there is a medical welfare scheme for the families of military and police personnel, it incurs significant expenses. The report states that they have decided to control this expenditure.

The decision was made due to the high costs associated with the medical welfare scheme for military and police families, as highlighted in the ministry’s report.

With this change, after the private insurance coverage is exhausted, healthcare will be provided through the Aasandha system.

According to the ministry’s report, this year alone, 322 million rufiyaa has been spent on medical welfare for military and police families. There is no limit to this scheme.

The Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has announced that 46.58% of the Greater Male’ Connectivity Project (Male’-Thilafushi Link Project) has been completed.

The ministry stated that this crucial development project for the Maldives has seen significant progress over the past 52 weeks.

As of October 15 this year, 46.58% of the bridge work has been completed, compared to 28.70% completion at the same time last year.

The Thilamaale Bridge is a $500 million (7.7 billion rufiyaa) project. It is funded by a $400 million line of credit from India’s Exim Bank and a $100 million grant from the Indian government.

The project mainly consists of three bridges:
1. A bridge connecting Male’ and Vilimale’
2. A bridge connecting Vilimale’ and Gulhifalhu
3. A bridge connecting Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi

Additional components include:
– Construction of a ramp for vehicle traffic in Vilimale’
– Building a road for vehicle traffic in Gulhifalhu
– Land reclamation in parts of Vilimale’ and Thilafushi

According to the project information sheet, the total length of the bridge will be 6.9 kilometers.

On the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with Right Honourable Ramchandra Paudel, President of Nepal.

During the meeting, the President emphasised the strong connection between the Maldives and Nepal as neighbouring countries in South Asia. They discussed further strengthening cooperation in health sector.

The two leaders also expressed eagerness to support each other, with the goal of enhancing relations between the two countries.

They concluded the meeting around COP29, focusing on advancing climate action, including financing for developing countries.

The President called for COP29 to set a new climate finance goal and ensure those who are most vulnerable are not be left behind. He made these remarks at the High-Level Roundtable Enabling Climate Finance – The Make-or-Break Moment for Sustainable Future on slidelines of COP29.

In his address, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu highlighted the need for innovative approaches, including linking debt forgiveness to climate milestones. He called for a transformation of the global financial system to support climate resilience, noting that the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) should not be seen as liabilities, but rather as opportunities for meaningful investment in shared global security. He emphasised the critical role of the private sector, which he said could unlock transformative potential with the right incentives, urging private lenders to partner with official creditors to offer favorable terms and extended maturities.

Speaking at the event, the President noted that the Maldives has transformed commitments to actions. He called to empower SIDS by linking debt forgiveness to climate milestones and providing private sector with incentives to empower SIDS.

“This is a make-or-break moment,” President Dr Muizzu said in his closing remarks. “Inaction, or even delayed action, is not an option for countries like mine. Let’s not break it; let’s make it—for the future.”

The high-level roundtable, part of the COP29 World Leaders Summit hosted by Azerbaijan, provided a forum for leaders, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to explore meaningful progress on climate finance, with a focus on establishing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) as a foundation for advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement.

President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu has underscored the urgent need for a new climate finance goal that aligns with the true scale of the climate crisis, asserting that “the need is in trillions, not billions.”

Delivering Maldives’ National Statement at the Plenary of 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the President called for increased global financial commitments to address climate adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage, especially for vulnerable nations.

While highlighting the unique challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the President stated that Maldives is a nation of extraordinary fortitude. He further stated that it is lack of finance that inhibits the ambitions of SIDS like the Maldives and called for the updated climate finance framework to prioritise both current needs and future resilience. He reaffirmed the Maldives’ dedication to climate action, emphasising that its environment and oceans are integral to the nation’s cultural identity and must be preserved as a “sacred duty.”

Reflecting on the Maldives’ role in climate advocacy, President Dr Muizzu noted the nation’s progress on sustainability, including a new Energy Policy, green initiatives for food security and housing, and economic diversification efforts. He also announced a forthcoming 20-year vision, setting a blueprint for a climate-resilient Maldives by 2040.

In closing, the President urged global leaders to reprioritise financial allocations, pointing out the disparity between funds allocated for climate adaptation and other global expenditures. Committed to securing a strong financial outcome at COP29, he called to “choose the path that changes lives, not the climate”.

The government has decided to replace the medical welfare scheme for military and police personnel with a private insurance system.

According to the State Budget Position Report released by the Ministry of Finance, although there is a medical welfare scheme for the families of military and police personnel, it incurs significant expenses. The report states that they have decided to control this expenditure.

The decision was made due to the high costs associated with the medical welfare scheme for military and police families, as highlighted in the ministry’s report.

With this change, after the private insurance coverage is exhausted, healthcare will be provided through the Aasandha system.

According to the ministry’s report, this year alone, 322 million rufiyaa has been spent on medical welfare for military and police families. There is no limit to this scheme.

Consequently, the ministry has decided to transition this system to private insurance, with implementation set to begin early next year.

Last year, the expenditure on insurance for military and police personnel exceeded the allocated budget. While 179 million rufiyaa was budgeted for additional insurances, by the end of last year, this amount had increased to 241 million rufiyaa.