Arabiya School work delayed due to need to save MVR 80 million: Minister

Minister of Education Dr Ismail Shafeeu has said that work on the new structure of Arabiya School had got delayed due to the work requiring an additional MVR 80 million, and the need to save these funds.

When asked about the delays in construction of the Arabiya School new building in parliament today, Minister Shafeeu said that he had held discussions with the contractor to build the new structure at modern standards.

He said that the price quoted for the work was very high.

"We targeted to have the work commenced within the first 100 days. However, in our work, we recognized that we would need to use about MVR 80 million out of public funds to do so," the Minister said.

"The delay came due to saving MVR 80 million from public funds. I believe it is a good, justified delay," Shafeeu said.

The Minister assured that there is no inconvenience for Arabiya students at the premises where the school is temporarily located, and said that all the details have been shared with parents of Arabiya students.

The agreement with Amin Construction was voided in September due to refusal to bring down the costs.

The contract was initially awarded to Amin Construction by the previous administration on September 29, 2022. The agreement had been to complete the work within 420 days for a MVR 168.5 million contract, with the building site then set as the old Jamaludeen School plot.

When President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed office, he decided to relocate the building as the old Jamaludeen School area is a high traffic area and would pose inconvenience to students and parents alike. He, instead, allocated the old wasteyard at Plot number 381 for the building of Arabiya School.