Malé, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has started a series of discussions with newly-elected councillors after the reforms brought about by the Decentralization Act.
The President’s online council meeting held this morning with Dhiggaru Island was the first of the series.
During the meeting, the President of Dhiggaru Island Council, Ahmed Nishan, emphasized the rapid progress of the land reclamation and shore protection project, and shed light on important matters to be addressed.
The Council President stated that the residents currently depend on bank agents for money transfers, punctuating the importance of establishing banking facilities on the island.
He highlighted the need for healthcare upgrades along with availability of uninterrupted medical supply. He also spoke further on the development of the school hall with other necessary educational infrastructure, eases in developing higher education opportunities and solving issues with the sewerage system.
The Council President also delineated difficulties faced by the Dhiggaru fisher community due to the lack of Fish Aggregating Devices nearby, and concerns regarding employment opportunities in the tourism industry in the area.
President Solih shared the latest updates on projects being carried out in Dhiggaru Constituency and addressed the matters raised by the Councillors. He revealed details on the progress of the cold storage development project to be established at Mulaku Island for the ease of the fisher community in that area.
The President stated that the project is proceeding according to schedule and that the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture is working on increasing the number of Fish Aggregating Devices.
Moreover, the President shared work updates on the healthcare development plans and shared the latest information on the minimum wage issue raised by the council. President Solih affirmed that the Administration would work with relevant stakeholders to address all concerns raised by the Councillors.