President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has made decisions on his pledge to move the commencement date of the Academic New Year to the beginning of the year and addressed several pertinent concerns of citizens upon the recommendation of his Cabinet.
He made these decisions based on recommendations presented to him after thorough discussions on proposals submitted at today’s Cabinet meeting. The President’s decisions are as follows:
Academic Year shift
Upon reviewing the proposal submitted to the Cabinet by the Ministry of Education regarding the shift of the Academic New Year to align with the calendar year, the President has decided against implementing abrupt changes to the academic workflow. Instead, these changes will be gradually introduced over a two-year period, with several enhancements to the Academic calendar. As a result, the academic year-end holidays for 2025 will align with December, and the New Academic Year for 2026 will commence in January. These modifications will allow for an annual three-week academic holiday in July and a four-week holiday in December.
Social Housing for locals employed in the tourism sector
The President decided to establish a dedicated social housing category specifically for local employees in the tourism sector, following comprehensive discussions at the Cabinet on a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development. The proposal suggested allocating a portion of the planned development of housing facilities to urban centres and social housing projects nationwide. The decision additionally proposed allowing local employees working in regions far from their native residential islands to apply for low-rent Council Housing if such initiatives have been launched.
Establishing a round-the-clock National Helpline as a support mechanism for individuals coping with mental illnesses
Following deliberations at the Cabinet on a paper submitted by the Ministry of Health, the President has decided to establish a round-the-clock national helpline to assist individuals coping with mental illnesses and to pursue a comprehensive ‘total solution’. He instructed his ministers to refine the proposal for subsequent Cabinet discussions. This ‘total solution’ by the President involves the integration of all national emergency hotlines, resulting in a unified national emergency hotline that provides all emergency services through a single dedicated contact number.
Establishing a Media Village for established media houses in the Maldives
After extensive deliberations at the Cabinet on a proposal from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts, the President approved the establishment of a ‘Media Village’ in Hulhumalé. The President has directed exploring potential financing avenues for constructing the building via Business Centre Corporation Limited (BCC) or any other state company in compliance with the Public Finance Regulation. If such avenues are not viable, he instructed that the financing of the building proceed under the contractor financing model.
