Development projects should be paused for five years: Nasheed

Former President Mohamed Nasheed stated that large-scale infrastructural development projects in the Maldives should be put on hold for five years.

In a post on social media, Nasheed suggested that the slogan for the upcoming elections should be "Pause for now". He added that any incoming president's pledge should also center around that same slogan.

Nasheed noted that most major infrastructure projects in the Maldives are carried out by the state using huge foreign loans. He argued that "concrete is not development; it is often debt."

The Maldives' foreign debt, accumulated to finance various development projects, currently stands at MVR 149 billion. Of this amount, MVR 16 billion is due to be repaid next year alone.

"It is vital to halt all infrastructural work being carried out in the name of development for four to five years," said Nasheed, who served as President for three years and later as the Speaker of the Parliament.

Nasheed, who has hinted at contesting the next presidential election, asserted that the prosperity of the citizens can only be increased by securing the state budget, boosting reserves, and reducing the national debt.

He expressed confidence that Maldivians are sensible people who will fully understand the country's current situation and the points he is raising.

Nasheed also criticized the government yesterday for continuously awarding contracts to build closely spaced airports, calling it economically unsustainable. He warned that this practice imposes "unnecessary and excessive" costs on the national airline.

His criticism came as work began on four airports in Shaviyani Atoll. In a social media post yesterday, Nasheed noted that while there are four airports currently in the north, four more are being built so close that one can travel between them by launch in about half an hour.

The result of this, Nasheed argued, is the loss of potential benefits from local tourism.

Nasheed concluded that the ongoing construction of one airport after another within speed-boat-distance demonstrates a lack of a coherent, integrated transport system plan and a general lack of accountability.