Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) is expected to receive a new dredger with three times the capacity of Mahaa Jarraafa before the end of this year, as the government moves to accelerate land reclamation and infrastructure projects across the country.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced the acquisition while speaking on PSM’s Nation’s Chat podcast on Friday night, saying expanding MTCC’s capacity is necessary to speed up projects that have yet to begin physical work.
The new vessel will be a trailing suction hopper dredger and will be purchased brand new, according to the President. Muizzu said arrangements to secure the vessel have already been made and that the government expects it to arrive in the Maldives before the end of 2026.
Once operational, the dredger is expected to significantly increase MTCC’s ability to undertake reclamation projects, with Muizzu saying projects already assigned to the company but yet to commence would be able to move forward at a much faster pace.
MTCC currently carries out reclamation work using Mahaa Jarraafa, the company’s trailing suction hopper dredger. The vessel has played a central role in reclamation projects undertaken by the state-owned company, but the government believes additional capacity is required to deliver the number of projects currently planned.
Muizzu said strengthening MTCC is part of a broader effort to improve the management and operational capacity of major state-owned enterprises, particularly those responsible for implementing government infrastructure projects.
He identified access to foreign currency as one of the immediate challenges facing MTCC, noting that the company needs US dollars to import armour rock and other materials required for its projects.
The President said that once the necessary imported materials are secured, harbour development, breakwater construction, coastal protection and erosion mitigation projects across a number of islands are expected to progress at a faster pace.
Muizzu also addressed delays affecting the government’s development programme, saying the outbreak of war in the Middle East had created an unexpected obstacle to commencing physical work on projects planned by his administration and under the country’s 20-year Development Master Plan.
He said the government has since worked through those difficulties and is now focusing on strengthening the state-owned companies responsible for carrying out major infrastructure works.
The expansion of MTCC’s reclamation capacity comes alongside changes to the government’s road development operations following the decision to merge Road Development Corporation (RDC) with MTCC.
Muizzu said machinery previously brought in for road construction under RDC would continue to be utilised following the merger. With the additional equipment and strengthened capacity, he said the public would see road construction projects moving at a faster pace during the coming year.
