In his weekly address, President Mohamed Nasheed has said private sector investments in the Maldives will be worth an estimated US$1 billion over the next three years. This, the President added, would be in addition to official development assistance.
President Nasheed discussed details of the investment areas and projects in the Maldives in the coming years.
They include upgrading Male International Airport and Hanimadhoo airport, expanding the runway of Gan airport, establishing a waste management facility in Thilafushi, Apollo Hospital’s partnership with the IGMH, nation-wide transport system, and the project to build 10,000 housing units.
The total investments in these projects and programmes amount to more than 1 billion dollars.
In his address, the President also discussed the donor conference recently held to mobilise external assistance.
“The donor conference was very successful. [We have] full confidence that over the next three years the Maldives will receive assistance worth US$313 million from several countries, organisations and various other parties.
This shows the trust that those countries and organisations have in the country; a clear proof that they are with this government,” said the President.
The US$313 million, that include concessional loans and grant aid, is developmental assistance or budget support, he added.
“We expect the economy to improve; we expect greater encouragement to bounce back from the current economic slump, towards the end of this year.”
In his address, which was broadcast on Voice of Maldives Friday morning, the President also spoke on the plans to improve sports sector.
He said with the restructuring of the sports sector, sports organisations would be managed democratically, and that there would be a national sports institute to oversee development of sports infrastructure.
The President also stressed private sector contribution to develop sports in the country.
A Dhivehi transcript of the radio address is available on www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv.
