President Waheed says Government was working on arranging Soft Loan Scheme for Home Construction in the islands

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has announced that the Ministry of Finance and Treasury would soon submit to the parliament, formulations of a soft loan scheme for home construction, for those islanders who acquire land plots. The President made this remark while speaking at the ceremony held this evening to handover housing units in Hanimaadhoo, to those who have relocated to the island from Hathifushi.

Emphasizing that housing needs was an urgent matter in many islands, the President noted that many who acquire land plots do not have the means to build homes. In this regard, he especially noted the challenges faced by youth looking to start living on their own.

At the ceremony held at the Hanimaadhoo School, the President said that being able to meet one’s housing needs was a blessing, and appealed to those who were handed the acquirement documents, to try and maintain the housing units in their best condition.

In his speech, the President expressed his hopes that housing opportunity would be provided in more islands in the future. Speaking in this regard, the President said that the highest priority right now should be to relocate those who were willing, to the islands allocated for population consolidation. He remarked that the road to realizing our future developmental goals also depended on the population density.

Speaking in this regard, President Waheed noted that higher education institutions were needed in the islands in order to provide our children with quality education, and that it could only be done if there were a sufficient number of students to cater to. He said that no administration would be capable of establishing a hospital or university in an island with a total population of only 100 or 200.

In his speech, the President said that Hanimaadhoo was an island with a successfully consolidated population, where a high number of people have relocated to, and noted that it has much potential for the future. In this regard, the President highlighted plans for the expansion and upgrading of the Hanimaadhoo Airport, assuring the people of Hanimaadhoo that they would not be forced to relocate.