Cabinet Approves New Measures to Accelerate Government Projects and Public Services

The Maldives Cabinet has approved a series of strategic measures designed to streamline public service delivery and ensure government infrastructure projects are completed on schedule. The decisions, finalized during the June 28 meeting, focus on increasing transparency, accountability, and safety across state operations. Central to these reforms is the full operationalization of the Dhuveli portal by the end of this week. This platform will work in tandem with the Public Investment Management System (PIMS), developed by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, to provide real-time monitoring of all government activities and project implementation. To tackle systemic delays, the Cabinet authorized the creation of a specialized team within the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises. This team will be tasked with identifying and resolving bottlenecks affecting projects managed by various ministries and State-owned Enterprises. To complement this central oversight, every ministry is now required to establish its own dedicated unit for day-to-day project monitoring. Infrastructure delivery will see further coordination between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Finance, and private contractors. A key priority within this framework is the Raajje Transport Link (RTL) ferry network; the Cabinet has directed that all necessary steps be taken to ensure the nationwide network is fully operational before January 2027. Addressing public safety, the Cabinet also introduced stricter regulations for chemical storage facilities across the islands. Following several hazardous incidents, approvals for such facilities will now only be granted for sites located at a safe distance from residential areas, mirroring the safety standards currently enforced in Malé. These combined initiatives signal a shift toward a more data-driven approach to governance, aiming to reduce bureaucratic friction and improve the tangible outcomes of state investments for citizens across the archipelago.