President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that a 24-hour Citizen Complaints Bureau will be established at the President’s Office, with services expected to commence within the next five months. He stated that the initiative is part of the Government’s commitment to work more closely with citizens and to strengthen mechanisms for listening to public concerns.
The President made these remarks while delivering the Presidential Address at the first sitting of the first session of the 20th People’s Majlis for the year 2026.
In his address, the President stated that the primary responsibility of the Bureau will be to manage citizens’ complaints through a fully digitalised system. Complaints will be received via multiple channels, including letters, email, the Rayyithunge Adu portal, the GEM messaging platform, telephone calls, social media platforms, and other communication channels. The Bureau will be responsible for coordinating responses through the relevant government institutions. The President also announced that a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)–based digital system will be developed to manage and track complaints efficiently.
President Dr Muizzu provided an update on the Government’s broader digitisation agenda and future development plans, underscoring that improving the efficiency of public service delivery and establishing a modern digital governance system are among the Administration’s top priorities this year. He noted that these efforts are guided by principles of good governance and aim to create a reliable, efficient service delivery system that benefits both citizens and public servants.
The President highlighted Maldives 2.0, launched in May 2025, which aims to enhance cybersecurity, enable trusted and reliable digital transactions through internationally compliant digital identity systems, ensure secure and timely data sharing across government institutions, and establish the Maldives Data Exchange. He stated that over the next three years, the Government will work to develop a digitally advanced generation, establish a Sovereign Cloud for secure data storage and archiving, and deliver citizen-centric, fully digitised government services through a single integrated platform.
The President further noted that the national roadmap for digital transformation has been developed and approved by the Cabinet. He announced that the Digital Transformation Bill, the Digital Identity Bill, and the Cybersecurity Bill will be submitted to the People’s Majlis during the first session of this year.
He also stated that Maldives 2.0 aims to establish a comprehensive civil registration network by the end of this year, positioning the Maldives as a leading country in the provision of civil registration services. In addition, the President announced that the Maldivian citizenship card will be upgraded to a smart card.
Reiterating his belief that digitised governance systems are key to eliminating corruption, the President emphasised that the Administration is making strong and sustained efforts to eradicate corruption. He stated that several legislative proposals are being prepared for submission to the People’s Majlis during the current session, including amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act, the Asset Recovery Bill, and the Criminal Procedure Code.
President Dr Muizzu further expressed confidence that the passage of proposed amendments to criminalise illicit enrichment under the Penal Code, along with the Evidence Act Amendment Bill currently at the parliamentary committee stage, would result in significant progress in combating corruption.
The President assured that he would not hesitate to take action against any individual involved in corruption or theft if credible evidence of wrongdoing is presented.
