The Parliament of the Maldives has passed the amendment bill to the Regulation on Uninhabited Islands of the Maldives which require authorities to hold discussions with the atoll council prior to leasing an uninhabited island in its jurisdiction. The Parliament passed the amendment bill with 53 votes in favour.
The Parliamentary Committee on Decentralisation made the decision to include the amendment to article 11. The committee included the amendment which states that an island can be leased for fisheries, agricultural, or industrial purposes by the relevant ministry after it holds discussions with the representative atoll council.
Parliamentarian Ahmed Abdulla proposed the amendment bill to the Regulation on Uninhabited Islands of the Maldives in order to improve on the current regulations that conflict with the amendments to the Decentralisation Act. The bill proposes to amend 13 articles and allow the local councils to lease and receive revenue from the uninhabited islands under their jurisdiction.