A fifth deadline has been set for the completion of the Rasmale' land reclamation project, two and a half years after it was launched with a pledge to finish within eight months.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office today, President Mohamed Muizzu said the government failed to meet the first deadline due to the hike in fuel prices.
"Our target is to complete it by the end of this year at the latest, God willing. We estimate it can still be finished within about six months," Muizzu said.
Muizzu noted that 60 percent of the reclamation is now complete and that the project has resumed following a brief hiatus caused by rising fuel costs. However, he clarified that while three dredgers were previously utilized, the project will now proceed with only two.
"It is restarting now. There was a slight slowdown; previously, we were working with three dredgers. Moving forward, two will be used. We are operating with two to manage costs," Muizzu explained.
The Rasmale' project was inaugurated on December 18, 2023, with a pledge to complete the reclamation within eight months without any state expenditure. At the time, the government stated that the contractor, Capital Marine and Civil Construction (CMC), would bear all reclamation costs in exchange for a large land plot from Rasmale'.
However, work stalled within a week of its commencement, after which the government ceased public discussion on the project. Since then, the project has missed deadlines set by the administration.
