The Male' City Council has passed a resolution to terminate agreements with two companies for the development of the Male' Fish Market and to hand over the required land to the government for the project.
The resolution was passed during the first emergency meeting of the Male' City Council's fifth session held yesterday. It received 11 votes in favour from the 16 councillors present at the meeting.
"The agreements established with the two companies for the development of the wet market with this council were terminated on August 5, 2026," the resolution stated.
According to the resolution, the Fisheries Ministry must complete the project within 30 months and hand the facility back to the council. The resolution also stipulates that the City Council must be consulted if any space within the premises is to be leased to a third party.
The land allocated for the wet market development spans 17,558 square feet. Mayor Adam Azim said that the delay in handing over the land was due to the necessity of following due legal process.
"The issues surrounding the project were referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the two contracts have now been terminated through legal teams. I do not wish to delay this any further as this is a very vital project," Azim said.
During President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure as Mayor, an agreement worth USD 6.1 million was signed and awarded to a contractor for the development of the Male' Fish Market.
However, after Muizzu was elected President and before Adam Azim was elected as Mayor, that agreement was terminated and the project was awarded to another party. The new agreement was valued at USD 9.5 million and was signed by the head of the council’s legal section, Ali Naseer Qasim.
The discrepancy between the two questionable agreements exceeds MVR 53 million. Although attempts were made during the previous council term to investigate the matter, the then-majority ruling PNC members did not allow the opportunity.
While the Construction Ministry has already launched a project to develop the fish market, the ministry had previously sent a letter to the City Council requesting the handover of the land. The ministry had earlier claimed that the project was stalled because the land had not been released. The council maintained that the land could only be handed over once the agreements were formally terminated.
