The government has decided to develop policies to identify urban centres and development zones. The decision was made following deliberations on a paper submitted to the Cabinet by the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development.
During the meeting, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made decisions regarding establishing nationwide policies to define development zones and urban centres. He also decided to identify distinct areas and centres, conduct an in-depth analysis, confer with relevant parties, and specify the standards for urban development zones. The centres will be divided into three tiers.
The development of urban centres is an important pledge of President Muizzu as part of his nationwide development initiative. At a press conference following the Cabinet meeting, Principal Secretary to the President Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim said that after extensive discussions on the paper, the Cabinet has decided to conduct a survey on the designation of urban centres. He said the survey will identify which areas can be built into urban centres and also identify which islands and atolls will be included in the areas.
Additionally, Nazim said the policies on the identification of the areas will determine economic and other measures to be implemented at a regional level. He detailed that the population of the region would be considered when identifying the urban centres to ensure that the total resident population does not fall below 50,000. He added that the government will develop policies to increase the resident population to 100,000 by 2033.
President Muizzu has stated that his administration will establish two integrated development zones in the northern and southernmost parts of the country and develop seven urban centres in different parts of the country. The initiative aims to ensure that citizens in the atolls have housing and will receive all essential services without having to travel to Male'.
President Muizzu also said he will formulate a 20-year master plan to implement his vision for the development of the entire country and give it special legal authority. He said that it would be a comprehensive plan for national social and economic development, setting the course for progress for citizens over the next 20 years.