The Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has announced that the construction of council secretariats, developed with Chinese assistance, will begin mid this year.

The Government has taken the initiative to address space constraints faced by local councils, with the plan being implemented under two separate projects, one supported through Chinese assistance and the other led by a Malaysian company.

Under the Chinese-assisted initiative, a total of 50 councils will be developed using pre-fabricated buildings.

Speaking to local media, Minister Adam Shareef revealed that a Chinese team will arrive in the Maldives in April to conduct preliminary studies before construction begins.

Ten islands have been identified for these studies, and work is set to commence by mid-year. The project will be completed in two phases and is expected to be fully completed within two years.

Parallel to this, progress is already underway for the Malaysian-led project, with foundation stones laid for 55 council buildings across multiple islands.

Minister Adam Shareef stated that construction under this project will officially begin next month, following the groundbreaking ceremonies led by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

Work will be carried out systematically, starting in Raa Atoll, followed by Haa Alifu and Haa Dhaalu Atolls, with physical construction on all council buildings set to begin within the year.

The design and scale of these council buildings will vary, with some being constructed as one-storey structures, while others will be two-storey buildings. The one-storey buildings are expected to be completed within one year, whereas the two-storey structures will take up to two years.

According to the Minister, the entire council building development project is scheduled for completion by mid-2027.