Government to investigate Kandoodhoo project discrepancies

The company awarded the project for Th. Kandoodhoo’s water supply and sewerage system development has provided misinformation, claiming that 96 percent of the work is complete. However, during President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's visit to the island, the people of Kandoodhoo clarified that this information is inaccurate and requested him to look into the matter.

This issue came to light during the President’s tour of the island and his meeting with its residents.

During his tour to four atolls, the President shared that he had learned a great deal about ongoing projects in all the islands he visited, which included stops across several islands in the Thaa, Vaavu, Meemu, and Faafu atolls.

President Muizzu stated that he has observed a recurring issue where companies responsible for various development projects have been providing false or misleading updates to the government regarding their progress. Similarly, the company responsible for Kandoodhoo’s water supply and sewerage system has clearly misinformed the government.

He noted that a clear and accurate progress report on the project has not been submitted. However, the President did not disclose the name of the company involved.

"Both the relevant government ministry and the President's Office received information claiming that 96 percent of the project had been completed. Based on that, we urged them to finish the remaining work and commission it. But today, after visiting the island, it's evident that the project is nowhere near completion," the President stated with concern.

He assured the people of Kandoodhoo that he will personally investigate the issue and find a solution in a short period of time.

"...If necessary, the government will terminate the contract and hand it over to MWSC. Terminating a contract and assigning it to another company is not ideal, so we will first try to get the original contractor to complete the work they started. The same issue has affected the health centre project on this island as well," he added.

The water supply and sewerage system project was initiated by the previous administration. President Muizzu pledged that the project will be restarted and completed, addressing any ongoing issues appropriately.

He said that he believes the delay in progress is largely due to the fact that the same company is handling multiple projects across several islands at once. He also pointed out that many of these projects were stalled during the presidential election period and remained inactive until late last year.

The President clarified that financial constraints are not the reason behind the project delays.

President Muizzu assured the people that the health centre project will also be completed. He noted that similar issues are being faced in several islands, where companies appointed to carry out development projects were paid the full contract amount upfront—and, in some cases, may have even been overpaid.