President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the Urban Planning and Management Act and the 13th Amendment to the Decentralisation Act, despite significant opposition and concerns from local councillors. The Urban Planning and Management Act and the 13th Amendment to the Decentralisation Act, both passed by Parliament in August and ratified on Sunday, have now been gazetted.
The Maldives Local Council Association (MLCA) had previously urged the President to refrain from approving the Urban Planning and Management Act. Noonu Atoll Council President Mohamed Basheer accused ministers and MPs of being uninformed about the bill’s contents and called for the government to renegotiate the bill before passing it.
The 13th Amendment integrates the Decentralisation Act with the Urban Planning and Management Act, stipulating that land use plans developed by councils must now be incorporated into the Physical Development Plan. This plan will be known as the “Island Development Master Plan” for Island Councils and the “City Development Master Plan” for City Councils.
The Urban Planning and Management Act aims to promote sustainable infrastructure development, requiring that land development complies with its standards, according to the government. It establishes the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development, along with City and Island Councils, as key agencies for implementing land-use plans, issuing permits, and drafting regulations. However, the MLCA has criticised the act, accusing it of centralising power within the national government.
There were no significant changes to the amendments during parliamentary approval. The government holds a supermajority in the parliament with 79 members, while opposition figures have criticised the legislative process for passing government proposals without amendments.
