President Urges Business Organisations to Join Hands with the Government to Reintegrate Drug Addicts into Society

Speaking in this week's radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has urged state owned corporations and other large business organisations to join the government's efforts to rehabilitate drug addicts back into the society.

He made the appeal welcoming the Works Corporation Limited's initiative to enroll recovering addicts in its different projects.

Works Corporation Limited is a state owned corporation that specializes in construction and infrastructure development.

In today's radio address, President Nasheed revealed that in March last year Works Corporation Limited recruited 15 recovering addicts to work in its Thilafushi Precast Yard, and assist them reintegrate back into the society.

He said, 11 out of 15 youth who were recruited by Works Corporation Limited, successfully completed the programme and were therefore released fully recovered.

President Nasheed said the company has enrolled a further 16 youth in its projects, and decided to take on an additional 25 youth to boost the government's efforts to rehabilitate the many young drug addicts and recovering addicts.

Acknowledging the success of the government's collaboration with Works Corporation Limited, President Nasheed called on other state owned enterprises and larger private corporations to join hands with the government to bring youth addicted to narcotics back into the society.

The President reaffirmed his administration's commitment to reintegrate youth, who were isolated from their families and the society as a result of their addiction, back in to the community.

In the radio address, the President also shared the details of his scheduled official visit to India on an invitation from South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), a think tank on South Asian issues, to address at its World Conference on South Asia to be held in Delhi later this month.

He said inclusive discussion among nations of South Asia and global institutions on the themes of the conference, democracy, sustainable development and peace, were crucial to address the challenges faced by South Asian countries as a result of violence resulting from mass poverty, social exclusion, economic disparities and threats of climate change.