Gov to make legislative changes to empower 20-year national development plan

The government will be introducing constitutional provisions to provide legal backing to the 20-year national development plan it is working on compiling, according to Housing Minister Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed.

The public consultation process for the plan was inaugurated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in a ceremony on Wednesday morning at the Social Center in Male’.

Addressing the gathering, Haidar said the government will be submitting a national development bill to the Parliament to legally empower the plan.

He added that the government also plans on submitting additional provisions to the constitution to further legally empower the plan and ensure the sustainable implementation of the plan.

“The long-term plan that will be compiled through the work we initiate today will be a roadmap that will dictate the path this country will take to shape Maldives’ development in a sustainable manner,” he said.

Haidar said that when compiling the plan, the government will assess the quality of living in islands across the country, identify challenges facing different sectors, and identify what needs to be done to address the challenges based on evidence and facts.

Haidar said the 20-year plan will be one that brightens the future of the country and ensure that future generations live a happy and wealthy life.

He said the consultation process must address social challenges, economic challenges, environmental challenges, risks of climate change, challenges in law enforcement, and new challenges.

According to Haidar, the focus of the plan is to provide all Maldivian citizens with equal opportunities, and ensure that Maldives is developed through innovation, technological advancements, and technical expertise.

Haidar said that the compilation and successful implementation of the plan requires public support. He said that a plan compiled without lack of extensive consultation with people across the country will be incomplete.

The government aims to finalize the national development plan within one year.