President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has discussed the path forward towards recovering and reinvigorating the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussions with the National Taskforce on Resilience Building and Economic Recovery were held at the President's Office. During the meeting, the Working Group on Economic Recovery, a subgroup of the National Taskforce on Resilience Building and Economic Recovery, shared two presentations with the president.
The first presentation detailed the work being undertaken to alleviate the struggles of individuals and companies suffering financial and economic burdens due to COVID-19. The presentation further discussed the decentralisation of specific business and trade-related functions of the government. This included approaches to incentivise Maldivians to migrate to the islands and spur decentralised trade routes in order to strengthen local economies in the outer atolls. The president and the members of the taskforce discussed the decentralisation framework instituted by the government and highlighted the importance of rapid development.
The second presentation pertained to the work being undertaken by the government to promote farming and agriculture in the Maldives. Discussions also touched on potential avenues to diversify the economy of the Maldives and enhance marketing and trade opportunities. The presentation also highlighted the mandate of the Agro National Corporation Limited and discussed ways to accelerate and improve the role of the corporation in the current situation.