President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has visited the construction site of the 100 housing unit project in Thimarafushi, as part of his tour of Thaa Atoll.
Ministry of National Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure had said the housing project in Thimarafushi will be completed in November. The project was contracted to SJ Construction Private Limited at a cost of over 4.6 million US dollars, and the contractor is required to complete the project within a one-year period. So far, SJ Construction has completed the masonry, laying of roof beams on 64 Units and the plastering on 42 Units, laying roof truss on 56 Units, and roofing of 32 Units.
During his visit, President Solih also met with the Thimarafushi Island Council to discuss the development of the island. During the meeting, the councillors discussed health services, expansion of the harbour, tourism development, the progress of road development projects, solutions for coastal erosion, electricity services, creating more employment opportunities for youth, and various other topics related to the socio-economic development of the Island.
Additionally, President Solih shared the latest updates on the ongoing projects and issues discussed during the meeting. He further added he would try to include the harbour expansion project in the state budget next year.
Furthermore, President Solih visited the Thaa Atoll Education Centre and met with the senior management, and discussed key issues and concerns. The heads of the educational institution highlighted that six new classrooms are under development to improve the school's infrastructure. They also discussed various other concerns at the meeting, including the need for more resources, such as human resources, and requested budget increments for maintenance of the school.
Addressing their concerns, President Solih assured them that he would discuss with the relevant authorities to address the issues. He also highlighted the importance of vaccination to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and reiterated that plans were underway to revise the remuneration structure for the education sector and provide salary increments from next year's budget.