President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the Urban Development Act, which was passed by Parliament during the 55th sitting of the 20th Majlis on Wednesday, 27 November 2024.

The primary objective of the Act is to establish a comprehensive legal framework for defining urban areas, including their zoning, categorisation, land use, and development standards. It also aims to regulate the planning, implementation, and monitoring of urban development projects across the Maldives to ensure orderly, sustainable, and legally compliant urban growth.

Under the Urban Development Act, President Dr Muizzu, upon the recommendation of the Cabinet, will formulate the national policy for urban area development in the Maldives.

The responsibility for implementing these policies is assigned to the Government ministry responsible for urban development, currently the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development.

Following the enactment of the Act, an Urban Development Authority will be established to oversee the preparation of the Urban Area Development Master Plan for designated urban areas. This authority will also be tasked with granting development permissions and facilitating the implementation of development activities by developers within these areas. It will operate under the ministry responsible for implementing infrastructure policies.

With the President’s ratification, the Urban Development Act has now been enacted and published in the Government Gazette. It will come into effect six months from the date of ratification and publication.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, on advisement of the Cabinet, has passed to create Tobacco Cessation Clinics in all islands and cities across the nation.

The decision was arrived at the Cabinet sitting held Sunday, after deliberating on a paper submitted by Ministry of Health.

Following the decision, the President has also authorised the provision of all necessary medications for individuals seeking to quit tobacco use, available through STO at all city and atoll hospitals.

Additionally, cessation services are to be classified as preventative health care services.

Under the Administration’s master plan on tobacco cessation, the President had already introduced several reforms. As such, changes have been brought to the Tobacco Control Act and Export Import Act, which has resulted in increased levies on cigarettes and electronic smoking devices, as well as consumption. These amendments were introduced with the aim of bringing a lasting solution to tobacco consumption within a four-year period.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, on the advice of the Cabinet, has approved the creation of health centres in six wards of the capital city, Malé, and in the atolls, which will provide primary healthcare and general practitioner services to citizens.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting held on Sunday, following a discussion of a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Health.

During the meeting, the President, on the recommendation of the Cabinet, instructed that the plan be implemented before the end of the year. As a result, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development will collaborate to ensure that the service is introduced with minimal wastage.

Furthermore, the President decided to expedite the process by inspecting existing buildings to reduce the time required to establish centres in the Malé region and regional cities, as well as to shorten waiting times for specialist consultations and other services.

The Administration has taken decisive steps to address the challenges facing the healthcare sector in the country. In line with this, Dharumavantha Hospital has been upgraded to a tertiary care facility, and the President recently inaugurated Hulhumalé Hospital as a tertiary care centre, offering a range of new services.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has approved a comprehensive plan to expand work opportunities for inmates both within and outside prison facilities.

Under this new framework, those who complete rehabilitation programmes according to guidelines set by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and Maldives Correctional Service will be eligible for sentence reductions and pardons through a structured system.

The decision was made by the President after deliberations during the Cabinet meeting held on December 1, 2024, following a paper from the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.

Drawing from the paper presented at yesterday's Cabinet meeting, and with the Cabinet's advice, the President has authorised several key reforms. These include implementing a new rehabilitation framework, modifying the system to enhance employment prospects for inmates both inside and outside prisons, and integrating the rehabilitation framework with pardons, parole and sentence reduction mechanisms.

The plan also calls for an expansion of community service initiatives. To ensure proper implementation, relevant Government agencies have been assigned specific responsibilities, with a defined timeline for achieving and monitoring key objectives.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has revoked the directive to discontinue non-contributory retirement benefits from January 1, part of the economic reform agenda of the Goverment.

The decision, made during the December 1, 2024 Cabinet meeting, follows a paper by the President.

In response to concerns raised by various sectors regarding the change in retirement pension, the President has decided to revoke the Ministry of Finance's letter to relevant institutions, recognising the public's feedback about the reduction of such retirement allowances at this time.

It has been decided that the retirement pension process for those transitioning to the new pay structure will remain unchanged until all individuals not yet in the structure have transitioned.

Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of the Maldives, Her Excellency Wang Lixin has paid her farewell call on Vice President His Excellency Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, on Monday at the President’s Office.

At the meeting, the Vice President commended Ambassador Wang for her dedication to strengthening bilateral ties and expressed gratitude for the services rendered as the Ambassador. He also thanked the Chinese Government for its continuous support and assistance to the Maldives.

Ambassador Wang expressed her gratitude to His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and the Administration for their constant support and guidance. She commended the Government's resilience, remarkable achievements, and positive development throughout the year.

The Vice President and the Ambassador reflected on the growth of bilateral relations, highlighting successful collaborations in education, higher education, infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism.

The call concluded with the Vice President and Ambassador expressing their confidence in further developing relations in the future years.