Minister for Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has announced that the construction of the ongoing new council buildings will be completed and ready for use by the time training for newly elected councilors concludes.
This development is a cornerstone of the government's special priority initiative to construct a total of 105 council buildings across the nation, being executed in two key phases.
The first involves 50 council offices being developed with assistance from the government of China. The second phase, comprising the 55 buildings currently underway, has been awarded to locally renowned construction firm, Rasheed Carpentry and Construction (RCC) on a contractor finance basis.
Minister Adam Shareef reported that the work entrusted to RCC is progressing swiftly and is on schedule for completion by July. These new facilities promise a marked improvement over existing structures.
The Minister highlighted that the offices will be more spacious and are designed to provide a superior working environment for both councilors and members of the Women's Development Committees, fostering more effective local administration. Additionally, the government will procure and supply all necessary furniture and office equipment for the newly constructed buildings.
"We believe that everything will be completed by July. If that happens, we will give the newly appointed officials the necessary training during their honeymoon period and they will have new council offices to work in," he said.
Beyond these 105 core projects, additional council offices are also under development through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), with six already completed. To address lingering delays, the unfinished council offices in Miladhoo, Noonu Atoll, and Dhiffushi, Kaafu Atoll, will be handed over to the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) within this month to ensure their swift completion, according to Minister Adam Shareef.