Pres: One-third of govt. employees to work from home in 2028

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu states one-third of the government employees will be working from their location, under the ‘work from home’ policy, at the end of the implementation of the government’s ‘Maldives 2.0’ initiative, launched tonight aimed at shaping the future of Maldives through digital transformation.

The government, on Friday night, held the inaugural session of ‘Maldives 2.0’ Digital Transformation Summit, a two-day summit which will proceed with participation from experts in the field.

Speaking at the inaugural session, President Muizzu said the government is targeting to complete the digitalization initiative commenced tonight within the next three years.

According to the President, the biggest benefit of the initiative will be reflected on the running on various government offices. In this regard, he detailed that the number of employees required to attend office to provide services would be decreased once the digitalization target is achieved.

As such, he said the goal is to shift one-third of civil service employees to ‘work from home’ policy starting from 2028. They will, however, be required to attend office as required by the policy for set hours.

Nevertheless, the President underscored that employees such as teachers who are required to attend office due to the nature of their work will continue their work as at present.

President Muizzu explained that such a change would significantly lower state expenses. Moreover, he detailed the positive impact such a change would have on the environment as it would decrease vehicle use in a city that is already overcrowded as Male’.

The government is one of the biggest employers in the Maldives, with some 40,000 people already working in the civil service. 

Speaking further, President Muizzu said the mega digitalization initiative is one of the components to ensure the Maldives is a developed nation by 2040.

To achieve that goal, the President underscored the need to take meaningful action, adding that development does not amount to just skyscrapers.

On this note, he said the governance system needs to be strengthened to those heights, citing the establishment of a transparent system as no easy feat.

The President emphasized that deviating from traditional practices should not automatically be seen as wrongdoing, even though some may find it hard to abandon long-held customs. He also noted that embracing change with awareness and openness can lead to positive outcomes.