The President’s Office has acknowledged the successes of 2019.
Speaking to press regarding the achievements of 2019, Spokesperson of President’s Office Ibrahim Hood said the ending year was a very successful year for the current administration. In this regard, Hood noted several major projects were commenced with positive results.
At the press briefing held at the President’s Office, the spokesperson highlighted on the administration’s achievements over the past year, stressing on the strides made under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s pledge to create a positive and socially cohesive atmosphere and maintain peace and stability.
Touching on education sector developments, the spokesperson highlighted that nearly 5000 students have enrolled in higher education programmes under the administration’s free degree programme. At the same time, a large number of students are pursuing higher education abroad under the revised student loan scheme and scholarships.
Emphasising on other policies, the spokesperson noted that many were reaping the benefits of the administration’s strategy to extend maternity and paternity leave and lowered domestic airfares. He also lauded the administration’s efforts at combatting crime, with its success in cutting down the crime rate significantly compared to the previous years.
Speaking about the healthcare sector, Hood highlighted the administration’s work of developing five tertiary hospitals, which is bound to provide ease of access to healthcare across the country. He noted that travel expenses related to healthcare would be significantly reduced with the introduction of essential services including CT scans, Neonatal Intensive Care Units and improved laboratory and operation theatres.
Regarding infrastructural development, the spokesperson stated that President Solih’s administration had done exemplary work with a record statistic of the most number of infrastructure projects initiated in its first year in office. In this regard, Hood detailed that 118 different projects were currently progressing in some 91 islands across the country. Accenting on President Solih’s vision of a ‘Jazeera Raajje,’ Hood expressed the recent amendment to the Decentralisation Act as a massive success for the Administration, which paves the way for fiscal and legal autonomy of local councils, the most significant stakeholder in national development. He further stressed that the budget for local councils had been exponentially increased with added duties and responsibilities for councilors.