Ministry of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works has stated that the Urban Development Bill significantly limits the role of councils in urban development efforts if passed in its current form.
The Urban Development Bill, submitted to parliament to designate urban centers for the first time in the Maldives, has the potential to constrain the decentralization system if passed as is, the Ministry of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works has said.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting examining the bill, Minister of State for Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Mohamed Hashim, expressed concerns that the bill was drafted without consulting the ministry.
He said that it could significantly limit the powers of atoll and island councils.
"President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's intention is to empower councils and ensure the system operates with their participation. However, the bill, as drafted, appears to have been created with little consultation with the ministry when establishing urban regions," Hashim said.
In addition to Hashim, another State Minister, Moosa Fathuhee Adam, said the constitution of Maldives stipulates that the country should be run under a decentralized system and other development laws should be made in accordance with the same regulations. He noted that decentralization is accepted by the people of Maldives.
"The meaning of decentralization is to establish a system which takes into account public opinions in national affairs, island affairs, atoll and city affairs. People's participation in some aspects of the Urban Development Bill should be further expanded," Fathuhee said.
Fathuhee said that the ministry hopes to amend the bill to empower councils further. He said the decentralization system has given many powers to the people and there should be no step back in this regard. Laws should be changed and new laws should be introduced to further expand the decentralization system, he said.
According to the Urban Development bill, an urban area will be defined as a region within the jurisdiction of a local council, but the Urban Development Authority will have sole authority over all planning and development decisions for that area, while local councils will retain oversight of municipal services only.
The bill proposes the establishment of an Urban Development Authority, which will assume all legal and operational responsibilities in addition to property, resources and employees previously held by the Urban Planning and Urban Development Department under the Ministry of Planning. The Authority will manage planning and development activities through agreements with the respective local councils.
For currently uninhabited areas, the Urban Development Authority will have full control over planning and development initiatives.
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