Thaa Vilufushi council President Hussain Jabeen has thanked the former government for the island's airport and hospital project.
President Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a tour of the atolls to campaign for the local council elections, reannounced the airport project and re-laid the foundation stone for the hospital in Vilufushi.
Muizzu met with the residents of Vilufushi on Tuesday night. At the event, council President Jabeen thanked Muizzu for relaunching the events in Vilufushi for the benefit of the people.
But he noted that the projects were a vision of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's government.
Vilufushi council President Jabeen. -- Photo: President's Office
Jabeen said it was negligence not to mention the hard work of the previous government and former MP Hassan Afeef to make the two projects a reality.
“On behalf of the people of our island, and I, personally, would like to express my sincere gratitude to our former Honourable MP Hassan Afeef and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih," he said during the event attended by Muizzu and senior government officials, including ministers.
The hope of Vilufushi is not just an airport, but the islands and sandbanks should be developed for tourism, he added.
“Half a century into tourism in the Maldives, there is only one resort in this atoll,” Jabeen highlighted.
"There are very beautiful islands in our constituency. Many of the best islands were leased 20 years ago, but no development was done. That is a huge loss for us," he said.
There is no excavator on the island, although the government announced the land reclamation for Vilufushi airport will begin today.
Muizzu told the islanders that the airport will be completed in 30 months, while the hospital will be completed in 18 months.
