President of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Mohamed Mujthaz, has stated that complaints are being received regarding delays in civil service provision, unanswered phone calls, and employee negligence, and that ways must be found to resolve these issues and strengthen administration.

Speaking at the ceremony held today to inaugurate the Maldives Civil Service Conference 2026, Mujthaz stated that prior to the introduction of the civil service, the Public Service Division of the President's Office had established a performance appraisal system to monitor the standard of work of employees.

However, he noted that the system was later strengthened and employee performance appraisals now take place every year, but expressed regret that services are still not being delivered in line with the expectations of the public.

Consequently, he stated that research needs to be conducted to find ways to elevate the standard of service provided by employees.

"The sadness is that we are unable to work up to the expectations of the citizens regarding civil service provision. With things being this way, we need to find ways to elevate the standard of service of employees. Research must be conducted on the matter," Mujthaz said at the conference.

The conference, which is held once every two years, is organized to further strengthen civil service services.

At the conference, Mujthaz stated that the primary objective of holding this conference is to improve the quality of services provided by the government to the citizens through the civil service and to elevate it to a higher tier. He added that a vital purpose of the conference is also to establish a platform where views can be exchanged and discussions held at a national level to thoroughly research civil service policies in an academic field and formulate a clear roadmap to overcome challenges.

Mujthaz stated that civil service employees stationed in every island must also be individuals capable of working at the same pace and with the same level of resources as civil servants working in an office in Malé.

Highlighting that there are important objectives desired to be achieved through this conference, Mujthaz stated that bureaucratic delays and difficulties in service delivery must be completely eliminated. Furthermore, he noted that relations among employees need to be strengthened, the exchange of information and resources from one institution to another must be accelerated, and the time citizens spend waiting to receive services must be reduced by utilizing modern technology.

Mujthaz stated that the public desires fast and convenient service, and therefore, the target should also be to fulfill those expectations.

"The fact that this conference facilitates an opportunity for leaders of various ministries and departments from the atolls and Malé to sit in the same environment with senior state officials to discuss and exchange views on the challenges and encountered obstacles in order to determine our own future is something that enhances the importance of this conference,"

Mujthaz stated that more than 35,000 employees are active in the civil service. He also noted that utilizing the scarce resources available in a small island nation like the Maldives to provide services to the standard desired by the citizens is a challenge.

Even so, he stated that efforts must be made with the assistance of technology to provide the kind of services the public would want.

"With things being this way, the civil service must always work to provide the most complete service to the citizens by utilizing modern technology in this day and age. We can keep pace on the path of development and move forward by identifying the feelings of the citizens only by continuously developing the standard of service,"

Mujthaz also stated that changes that need to be brought to the service must be implemented in order to strengthen the administration of the Maldivian civil service and review its policies.

A total of 8 research papers, 9 conceptual papers, and two experimental papers will be presented at the conference. Mujthaz stated that these academic researches include papers related to strengthening administration, elevating the performance standard of service-providing institutions, utilizing modern methods of digital smart governance, establishing a safe working environment, modernizing and reforming the administrative system, and the challenges faced in administration.