President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has abolished the Maldives Land and Survey Authority, previously under the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development. The decision, made under the powers vested in the president by Article 116(a) of the Constitution, was announced in a directive issued by the President’s Office.
The President's Office clarified that the functions of the Maldives Land and Survey Authority will now be transferred to the Housing Ministry. This move aims to establish a more robust and financially sustainable mechanism to handle the tasks formerly managed by the authority, which was initially created to conduct research on the Maldives' land and sea resources.
While abolishing the authority, President Muizzu has also recently ratified the Urban Planning and Management Act, which mandates infrastructure planning to sustainably develop land and maximize its economic and social benefits.
Several agencies are responsible for drafting, passing, and implementing plans, as well as issuing land development permits under the new framework. As such, Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development, City Councils, Island Councils, Agencies tasked with developing urban areas, Agencies tasked with developing industrial areas and Agencies tasked with developing special economic zones can undertake the tasks.
Land scarcity remains a significant challenge in national development. President Muizzu has pledged to improve urban planning and management efforts to ensure that land resources are utilized efficiently to maximize economic benefits.