President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih stated on Wednesday that the administration had made significant progress in delivering on its pledges as it headed into its fifth year in office. The President made the statement while briefing the media today at the President's Office about the progress of the administration's socioeconomic plans.
At the press conference, President Solih highlighted some of the notable accomplishments of his administration over the past four years and outlined his goals for the remainder of his term. The President emphasised that expedited efforts were being made to provide equitable essential services to all citizens. He detailed that 141 projects were underway to provide safe drinking water and develop sewerage networks, while installation of 313 generator sets in 144 islands had been completed. He added that projects to build new power plants in 76 islands are also underway.
The President stated that while harbour construction projects have been completed on 47 islands, efforts to complete harbour development are currently progressing on 36 more islands. President Solih added that road construction projects on 31 islands are now underway, land reclamation on seven islands has been completed, and land reclamation works are ongoing on eight islands.
On health sector development, the President said that the administration completed 31 health sector projects, while 40 more projects for upgrading health centres, atoll hospitals, and tertiary hospitals are underway. Concerning the age-old issue of transportation difficulties, the President emphasised the ease of daily commuting brought about by introducing the Raajje Transport Link (RTL) ferry network and minibus services in Malé, Fuvahmulah, and Addu cities, in addition to the Laamu Atoll.
The President also highlighted the administration's efforts to provide housing, including ongoing projects targeting 16,000 families. They include the development of 8,700 flats in Malé, additional projects to develop housing units in the islands, and financing provided through the "Gedhoruveriya" loans. The President added that over 15,164 applications were received for the 5,000 housing plots on offer in the Malé region.
The administration has also been undertaking significant efforts to build generations of productive citizens by providing higher education and technical and vocational education opportunities. President Solih revealed to the media that over 16,000 people had enrolled in the administration's free degree programme and noted the establishment of the minimum wage. He also outlined the revision of salaries and allowances for over 10,000 education sector staff and highlighted the administration's efforts at decentralisation.
At today's press conference, the President also answered journalists' questions on various topics.
