President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Friday afternoon, arrived in Ukulhas Island in the Alifu Alifu Atoll to hold the "Viavathi Raajje" conference. President Solih invited city council mayors, island council presidents, and presidents of Women’s Development Committees from the central atolls for the second edition of the conference. He is joined at the conference by government ministers, policy executives from the President’s Office, and technical experts from various institutions.
President Solih signed the eighth amendment to the Decentralisation Act into law on December 15, 2019, at the first edition of the "Viavathi Raajje" conference, authorising more fiscal and legal autonomy for local councils. He is hosting the second edition of the meeting in Ukulhas Island, the first to be held following the amendment’s ratification. The conference seeks to provide the opportunity to review the existing structures and find avenues for improvement. It also offers an opportunity for the administration to confer its policies to ensure good governance.
The two-day conference would feature four sessions with presentations and discussions on various topics, including fiscal and legal autonomy, formulating land-use plans, the role of WDCs, crime prevention, social welfare, and climate resilience. It would also allow the council and WDC representatives to present their concerns to the President and discuss solutions.
