India – India has announced its decision to provide Maldives with USD 500 million worth aid, in the project to connect Villingili, Gulheefalhu, Male, and Thilafushi by a bridge.
This was announced during a video conference which took place between Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid and Indian High Commissioner to Maldives, Dr. Jai Shankar.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the project connecting the four islands in the region would allow the area to have better economic connectivity and would be the biggest developmental projects in the history of the country. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is said to have already been completed, with the entire project to be finished by 2023.
Since the aid for the project is provided by India, it would be compulsory to include an Indian company in the project, Akram Kamaluddin, State Minister for Planning Ministry announced. Therefore, the tender work to be done in selecting a company would be done in India, Akram revealed.
The aid package is to have a loan and free aid component, of which details were not released.
