The Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has vehemently dismissed as "irresponsible" claims alleging that the government intends to abolish the country's Atolls.
Speaking on PSM News' ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Minister Adam Shareef directly addressed widespread allegations, particularly on social media, that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s administration is moving to dissolve these administrative divisions, unequivocally stating that such claims are unfounded and do not reflect the government's policy.
Instead, the Minister clarified the administration's intent is to reform the existing Atoll Council system. He argued that the creation of provinces under the previous MDP government inadvertently led to an increased dependence on the capital, Malé, for various administrative matters.
He described the current Atoll Councils as largely providing only administrative assistance to islands, functioning as an "added layer" within the decentralisation framework with limited actual mandate.
The government, he explained, seeks to reconfigure the Atoll Council's structure to enhance its effectiveness and responsibility. This includes integrating councilors elected by each island into the Atoll Council for local development, thereby increasing their oversight and accountability.
Echoing President Dr Muizzu's previous statements over the current flaws in the structure of Atoll Councils, Minister Adam Shareef affirmed that the composition of the Atoll Councils would indeed change from its present form, though he stressed that the natural formation and order of the Maldivian atolls themselves would remain.
The Minister also shared his personal belief that academically competent individuals, akin to permanent secretaries in ministries, should be appointed from within the civil service to handle the administrative work of these reformed provincial structures, with their performance dictating their tenure.
Minister Adam Shareef’s comments aim to quash the "irresponsible" rumours and provide clarity on the government's actual strategy - not an abolition of administrative areas, but a strategic restructuring to foster more effective and accountable decentralised governance.