The structure of the government has changed with the introduction of four new ministries under the new presidency.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who was sworn in on Friday, November 22, came to power with the decision to establish 22 ministries. With this, changes were made in the functions and mandates of some government offices.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been renamed to Homeland Security and Technology with Immigration placed under its mandate, which was previously a mandate of the Ministry of Defense.
However, Maldives Customs Service, which was a mandate under the Ministry of Defense, has not been transferred under any institution.
The National Center for Information Technology (NCIT), overseen by the Ministry of Technology and the Department of National Registration (DNR) under the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure have been transferred under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
The National Drug Agency (NDA), run under the Ministry of Gender and later Ministry of Health, has been placed under the Ministry of Homeland Security as well.
The Ministry of External Affairs will operate 17 embassies and consulates under its jurisdiction, while the Ministry of Finance will be the in charge of the National Pay Commission as well as the Privatization Board.
The Department of Public Examination (DPE), the National Institute of Education (NIE), Quality Assurance, Department of Inclusive Education, and government schools run by the Ministry of Education will continue to function under the same government body.
However, health centers, hospitals, and tertiary hospitals which previously functioned under a separate board during the Solih administration, has been transferred under the Ministry of Health.
The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA), Health Protection Agency (HPA), National Mental Health Department, and Maldivian Blood Services will now be run under the Ministry of Health.
Only the ‘Invest Maldives’ mandate has been assigned to the Ministry of Economic Affairs this time, which previously mandated the Job Center and Labour Relations Authority. However, the Ministry of Higher Education was renamed to the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour, and Skills Development with Labour Relations and Job Center transferred under it.
Maldives Qualification Authority, Labour Relations Authority, Skills Development Authority, and Maldives Polytechnic will now operate under the Ministry of Higher Education.
The Gender Ministry has been renamed to the Social and Family Development Ministry, and all the entities it oversaw in the past have been changed which includes the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA), Children’s Orphanages, and centers for people with special needs.
Only the National Institute of Sports was transferred under the Ministry of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Utility Regulatory Authority, MET Office, and Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office have been transferred under the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy.
The Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure, and National Planning have been split to create the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development under which, the Bureau of Statistics and the Maldives Land and Survey Authority will operate.
While there are no additional agencies under the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, the National Center for Cultural Heritage and the Dhivehi Language academy will now run under the Ministry of Dhivehi Language, Culture, and Heritage.
Two of the newly created ministries, Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare do not have any institutions under their mandates right now.
The Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Information and Arts was created by splitting the Ministry of Youth and Sports, under which the national Bureau of Classification, the National Center for the Arts (NCA), the National Museum and the National Archives will operate.
The Ministry of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works include only the Communications Authority of Maldives, which was previously under the Ministry of Technology.