President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has declared that the full realisation of Maldives 2.0 and a digitally empowered nation will transform life across the archipelago, enabling citizens to access essential services and generate income without leaving their home islands.
Delivering his address on Decentralisation Day, President Muizzu extended warm greetings to Maldivians and public servants nationwide, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to bringing governance closer to the people. He stressed that as digital systems expand and national development targets are achieved, new economic pathways will emerge for island communities, reducing the need for migration to Malé.
Highlighting the Maldives’ unique geography as a scattered chain of islands, the President noted that decentralised governance is rooted in the country’s historical administrative traditions. With the current Constitution in force, he said, opportunities to further strengthen decentralisation have expanded significantly.
Over the past two years, the Government has intensified efforts to deepen decentralised services by delegating greater authority to councils and fostering public confidence in local governance. According to the President, long-standing aspirations of councils under the Decentralisation Act are now being fulfilled. These include opening new revenue-generating avenues for councils, formalising the rightful status of Women’s Development Committees, and implementing salary adjustments for council employees.
The administration has also allocated additional resources to councils and initiated the construction of modern administrative buildings to enhance operational efficiency across islands.
President Muizzu further assured that island communities will see expanded sports facilities and public parks, alongside the completion of water and sewerage services in every inhabited island. He underscored that a record number of infrastructure projects, ranging from road development to harbour expansions, are being implemented concurrently across the country.
Consultations have been conducted on all islands as groundwork for the upcoming National Development Master Plan, signalling what the President described as a coordinated and inclusive blueprint for long-term national progress.
Addressing wider national challenges, he affirmed that comprehensive efforts are underway in every island to deliver lasting solutions to undocumented migration, drug trafficking and gang-related crime, issues he characterised as critical to safeguarding social stability and national security.
With Maldives 2.0 advancing, President Muizzu positioned decentralisation not merely as a governance reform, but as a cornerstone of economic empowerment and equitable development for citizens across the archipelago.
