Malé, Maldives – Housing allocation should not be based on which company an individual works at and instead on the citizens with the highest need for housing, says MP of North Galolhu constituency Eva Abdulla.
Eva has said this while debating the issues in STELCO flat allocation and employee health insurance policy, which was presented by the State Owned Enterprises committee to the Parliamentary floor.
The previous government had started staff housing projects under the “Hiyaa” campaign with various companies of the Maldives to provide housing for employees.
Eva highlighted that this was a controversial decision from the beginning and housing should not be allocated because an individual works at a specific company. Allocation based on workplace can result in many who are in desperate need of housing unable to get flats. There are currently thousands in need of housing in the country.
The general living situations should be taken into account prioritizing the people most in need. Not just because they work at a certain company. For example, [someone might have worked at] STELCO for 25 years, STO for 30 years, but can have 3, 4 or 5 properties in Malé. In this case, the individual should not get a flat.
MP Eva also stressed that there should be one program allocating flats. She said that giving flats due to workplace can result in companies hiring people close to them, giving flats and resigning. She also highlighted that the public companies of Maldives are not monitored properly at present and this needs to be addressed.
Two 15-story residential buildings were to be built for staff housing by STELCO and the project is currently under construction. When completed, it is supposed to provide 349 apartments for STELCO employees.
The apartments were previously supposed to be 384, however, the incumbent government decided not to purchase 72 allocated to the government and some apartment layouts were altered.
