Male’, Maldives – MP for Hanimaadhoo, Abdul Gafoor Moosa today stated that there should be a policy to allow married couples to jointly register for the lands that are issued by the state for residential use.
Speaking at the debate on the Land Act today morning, MP Gafoor stated that Maldives has always issued land under certain conditions. Noting that one of which is that the applicant must be married, MP Gafoor stated that the married couples must be able to jointly register for the land.
If a land is issued to an individual because they are married, then under the condition we must make it such that the land can be jointly registered to both husband and wife.
MP for Hanimaadhoo, Abdul Gafoor Moosa
MP Gafoor stated that it is a worrying matter that some women are rendered homeless after they are divorced with children after years of marriage. Therefore, he said that it is important to establish that the land issued by the state must be jointly registered to both husband and wife.
MP Gafoor expressed hope that the local councils will adopt a policy of joint registration of land for married couples when issuing lands in the near future. Noting that legally it can be done at present as well, MP Gafoor stated that he believes that it is important to consider joint registration of land, so that the ownership lies with both the wife and husband – representing the whole family.
In addition to this, MP Gafoor also stated that a way through which local councils can repossess state land issued to private owners that lie vacant for years must be established so the state can once again issue those lands to the people who are in more need of it. Under special circumstances, the state already repossesses land which lie vacant for a long period of time in Maldives.
