China, which maintains close ties with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) coalition, has arranged to redevelop all roads in Male', President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said last night.
Speaking at a rally held for the opening of a campaign hall for Ahmed Zameer, who is contesting for the Machchangoalhi Medhu constituency in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the President said the top priorities for the Male' region at the planning stages were housing and road construction.
Chinese grant aid has now been secured for the road development project, he said. Talks are nearly finished and China has agreed to finance the project, he added.
"China has now agreed to build all of the roads in this Male' for free. It has now been arranged and finalized for China to build it for free," the President said.
President Muizzu said he tried to launch the project while he was the Mayor but the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government at the time obstructed it.
The MDP government with its parliamentary majority failed to redevelop Male's roads or build much-needed housing for Male' and the rest of the country, President Muizzu said.
He reiterated criticism of the previous government's decision to award plots of land from Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru lagoon without a proper plan ahead of the presidential election.
"It's just empty plots. There aren't even roads at least, designated on the land and planned for. What's more, where's the land for other basic needs, hospitals, schools and centers to provide other services? There was none of this," he said.
The current administration has now carried out further land reclamation in Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru and nearly finalized new land use plans, he said. Once the work is finished, land plots will be handed over from the designated wards to all applicants chosen for housing, he assured.
Moreover, preparations are almost done for issuing loans at interest rates lower than five percent as pledged during the campaign, he noted last night.
