President of Alifu Alifu Himandhoo Island Council, Husham Ismail, has said the recent amendments to the Decentralisation Act will strengthen the financial accountability of councils and do not pose an obstacle to island development.

Speaking to residents during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s tour of Alifu Alifu Atoll, Husham said the amendments enhance oversight of council expenditure and financial transactions, ensuring greater accountability in the use of public funds.

The 16th amendment to the Decentralisation Act was ratified on Friday. While some councils have expressed concern that the changes undermine their powers, the Government has maintained that the amendments are intended to improve financial discipline and do not reduce the authority granted to councils.

Himandhoo Council had also initially issued a statement opposing the amendment, Husham noted, citing fears that the council’s work would be hindered. However, he stressed that in practice, the changes do not deprive councils of any existing powers. Instead, the reforms were necessary due to cases of budget misuse by some councils.

As an example, he said Himandhoo Council conducts an annual experience trip within the Maldives to motivate staff, funded through the State budget. By contrast, he pointed out that some councils organise such trips four or five times a year, including abroad, which he described as wasteful spending. The amendments, he added, create opportunities for councils that had been mismanaging budgets to operate more responsibly.

Responding to criticism that the amendments had reduced the council term by a year, Husham said he did not share this view, nor did he consider it burdensome for councils to seek approval from their oversight authority.

Husham, now serving his third term, further dismissed claims that the decentralisation system had been weakened to an unprecedented level. Recalling earlier terms, he said there had been times when councils were forced to rely on newly formed agencies to convey their requests, with no guarantee that their concerns were ever forwarded to the relevant ministries.

He reiterated that the new changes posed no barrier to development and that, in his view, they represented positive reforms for local governance.