President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that Male' and Ras Male' will be connected via an underwater tunnel. He made the remarks while addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the Male' City Council’s newly elected Mayor and councillors.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Muizzu detailed that the underwater tunnel connecting Male' and Ras Male' would entail a railway on which tourists can observe the underwater beauty, adding that this new infrastructure project would contribute immensely to the tourism industry. The President said that the administration had already begun working on the feasibility studies for the project and that it would seek potential developers with the technical capacity to build the tunnel.
Additionally, President Muizzu urged all council members nationwide to hold discussions with their constituents while undertaking responsibilities. Subsequently, he committed to fully empowering the councils, reinforcing their autonomy and decision-making capabilities. On this note, the President acknowledged the recent Cabinet decision to grant island councils the ability to incorporate uninhabited islands and lagoons in their atolls under their jurisdiction, under specific guidelines, to boost their revenue and to establish a transparent mechanism that ensures atoll councils fully capitalise on the financial gains from commercial units in Male' that are associated with their respective atolls.
Furthermore, President Muizzu spoke on the developmental prospects of Male' City. In this regard, he added that the ongoing development projects and the completion of the Ras Malé development project would satisfy all housing needs of the city within the five-year term. He said that the redevelopment of Male' City’s roads and the allocation of parking areas would alleviate the emanating challenges within the same period.
Moreover, President Muizzu detailed efforts by the administration to develop a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Villimale', initiating construction of the new fish market in Male' City after Ramadan, authorising new residential buildings to rehouse the tenants of the five buildings, namely the Sinamale' and Male' Hiya flat residents, and the 500 housing units commissioned for Villimale', among other significant development projects.