Malé, Maldives – Malé City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will bring major changes to the Gulhifalhu development project and will work together with the Malé City Council to develop the reclaimed land.
Mayor Muizzu made the statements giving information to press following a meeting with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih yesterday. Mayor Muizzu stated that the most needed requirement of Malé citizens is for a permanent housing plan and that the only viable option at the moment to make this a reality is to develop the neighboring Gulhifalhu into a residential city or a housing destination.
I acknowledged the current plans of developing Gulhifalhu into a port and that an agreement has also already been made regarding the project. Which is why I told that this will be a challenging decision for the President. However this is what the citizens want.
Malé City Mayor Dr. Muizzu
Mayor Muizzu further stated that what the citizens wants most at the moment is a housing plan and that there is no land in Malé to achieve this. He noted that the reclaimed land in Hulhumalé phase two is not enough to solve this problem either. He stated that the citizens want to develop Gulhifalhu into a housing destination and that the council is ready to work with the government to make it a reality.
In addition to this, Mayor Muizzu stated that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih noted that the decision to develop Gulhifalhu into a port was taken after thorough discussions with experts in the field and even after considering the documents put together by Muizzu when he was the Housing Minister during the presidency of Former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom back in 2015.
I further stated that during the previous administration, Thilafushi was used as a waste management facility up until 2018 when it changed. It is no longer a waste management facility. So, although Gulhifalhu was planned as an industrial zone in the previous plans, that cam also be changed. So i said that the Gulhifalhu can indeed be developed as a housing destination.
Malé City Mayor Muiz
Mayor Muizzu also noted that the President highlighted on the role to be played by the city council in the development of Gulhifalhu and that the direct corporation and support of the mayor is required in the project. The president also stated that he will inform the relevant authorities work with mayor muizzu to develop the housing destination in Gulhifalhu.
The President also said that he will inform the relevant authorities meet with the city council to present their current plans which is to relocate the storage in Gulhifalhu and give away around 5,000 housing lands accomodating over 30,000 citizens in addition more flats. Muizzu reiterated that he wished to relocate the port to Thilafushi and develop the entire Gulhifalhu into a residential city.
The current plans of the administration is to develop Gulhifalhu into a port along with 1200 pieces of land. However, Mayor Muizzu has been standing firm to the idea to develop the entire Gulhifalhu into a residential city since the elections.
