Male' City Council member Adam Azim has alleged that the handover of municipal services in Hulhumale' has stalled because President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu does not support the transfer.
Despite discussions between the council and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Azim said both HDC and the council have refrained from taking over the services, leaving HDC to continue providing them on a temporary basis.
Responding to the President’s remarks at the Hulhumale Phase I meeting on Sunday evening, Azim wrote on X that the council has been cooperating with stakeholders to expedite the handover in line with an agreed timeline. He shared a detailed chronology of meetings and letters exchanged since early last year, including budget discussions with the President and formal requests to HDC to initiate the transfer.
Azim stated that both the Finance Ministry and HDC are willing to hand over municipal services to the council, but the process remains incomplete nearly two years after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in January last year. The MoU had committed to transferring all municipal services in Male' and Vilimale' to the council, with HDC expected to cease service provision within a month.
21 ޑިސެމްބަރ2025 ވަނަ ދުވަހުގެރޭ، ހުޅުމާލެ ފޭސް1 ގައި ދިރިއުޅުއްވާ ރައްޔިތުންނާ ބައްދަލު ކުރެއްވުމަށް، ރައީސުލްޖުމުހުރިއްޔާ ޑރ. މުޙައްމަދު މުޢިއްޒު ބޭއްވި ބައްދަލުވުމުގައި، ހުޅުމާލޭގެ މުނިސިޕަލް ޚިދުމަތްތައް، އެޗްޑީސީން ދެމުންގެންދާތީ، އެ ކަމާ ކަންބޮޑުވެގެން ރައްޔިތަކު ކުރެއްވި…
— Adam Azim, Mayor of Male’ City (@adamazim) December 22, 2025
The initial proposal to transfer Hulhumale's municipal services was made in early 2022, when President Muizzu was serving as Mayor of Male'.
At a press conference last October, Azim claimed that delays in the handover were due to reluctance to provide improved services to the public. He reiterated that the council remains ready to take over responsibilities.
Hulhumale' councilor Ali Aiman previously told Sun that the process had been delayed since the resignation of HDC’s former Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed. Talks resumed after Mohamed Mauroof Jameel assumed the role, but Aiman noted that transferring around 300 HDC employees to the council remains a key challenge.
The council is legally mandated to provide municipal services in Hulhumale'.