Housing Ministry has decided to revise the eligibility criteria for the special category under the Aailee Boahiyaavahikan programme, increasing the required period of service in an agency from one year back to five years.
The ministry previously gazetted rules for allocating 1,000 flats to employees of 23 institutions, including the Judiciary, Police, MNDF, Civil Service, Maldives Correctional Service and the President’s Office.
Under the earlier announcement, employees were eligible to apply if they had worked continuously for one year in the agency, provided they agreed to continue serving the institution for a period determined by the agency after receiving the housing.
However, Housing Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib said at a press conference on Sunday that the requirement would be revised to five years.
He said the rule was not intended to allow political appointees to apply under the special category.
“In fact, the rule as it stands is not for political employees to apply. The government has no intention of creating a special category for politically separate groups outside the usual category,” he said.
Minister Muththalib explained that the earlier change from five years to one year was intended to help retain skilled employees in government institutions.
He gave the example of a specialist such as a software developer who may have worked in one ministry for many years but transferred to another agency more recently, making them ineligible under the previous five-year requirement.
The special category, he said, was introduced to help government institutions attract and retain qualified and capable staff.
“The purpose of creating a special category is to retain educated and talented people in government agencies,” he said.
The minister also said the rule itself makes it difficult for political appointees to apply, as the service requirements under the scheme are determined by the agency, while the roles and duties of political appointees are determined by the president.
He added that the intention of the programme is to prioritise long-serving employees and ensure institutions can retain experienced and capable staff.
Under the broader housing programme, the government plans to allocate 7,900 flats and 15,000 plots of 1,250 square feet.
Both schemes are open to residents of Male' City and individuals who have lived in the capital for at least 15 years. The work requirement for government employees is in addition to the residency requirement.
