The Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has announced that construction work will officially begin in April 2025 under the project to rebuild 55 council secretariat buildings.

Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office today, the Minister stated that this project was initiated after President Dr Mohamed Muizzu visited various islands and witnessed the dilapidated condition of council buildings and their space constraints.

"When President Dr Muizzu visited the islands, he saw buildings on the verge of collapse – places originally prepared as two-bedroom houses with sitting rooms for magistrates and clerks during former President Maumoon's administration," said Minister Shareef.

"These same buildings now must accommodate five to seven councillors plus administrative staff, creating severe administrative and space constraints. The President decided the Government should take the initiative to resolve these issues," he added.

The Minister explained that the project will be implemented under a contract and finance arrangement, now awarded to Malaysia's Hexter Global company.

According to the latest information, a team from the company will arrive in the Maldives on April 28. The Minister revealed that based on gathered information, construction work will officially commence in April.

"For this project, we will construct approximately 39 council offices as two-storey buildings. Demolition work will only be necessary in very few locations. We are targeting completion of all 55 council office projects within two and a half years, as outlined in the project plan," said Minister Shareef.

The Ministry has stated that the total cost of this project is USD 36 million.

The reconstruction of dilapidated council secretariat buildings across the islands is a project receiving special priority from President Dr Muizzu. In addition to these, arrangements have been made to construct offices for 50 more through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) projects. The Ministry indicated that work on the councils included in the PSIP projects is also expected to begin in the near future.