Maldives Housing Minister Says Rasmalé Filling Cost to Be Lower Than Earlier Estimates

Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muttalib has stated that the cost of filling the Rasmalé project will be less than previously estimated. He made the remarks while sharing information at the 11th programme of the "Aha" forum, jointly conducted by the Office of the President and state media PSM. During the programme, a question was posed to the minister regarding the expenditure incurred by the state for filling Rasmalé, seeking clarification on the total amount spent from the state budget. The minister stated that when the filling of Rasmalé began, it had been previously mentioned that the total project would cost between approximately 500 and 700 million dollars, and those calculations were based on ongoing projects at the time the government took office and market rates. However, under efforts made to minimize costs through work entrusted to various state companies, the minister said that by the end of this year, the expenditure for the project will be around 330 million dollars. "The estimated amount the state will spend to fill the entire 1,009 hectares of Rasmalé is 330 million dollars. Therefore, if we consider its 500 hectares, that would be about 160 million dollars. Thus, in reality, when we first started, the estimate we provided was based on the costs incurred by the then government for filling projects such as Gulhifalhu and Giravarufalhu," Minister Muttalib said. Minister Muttalib stated that certain parties are spreading false news related to this project for various political purposes and to create fear among the people. Highlighting claims being circulated that 700 to 1,000 million dollars have already been spent on filling Rasmalé, the minister refuted such statements. Furthermore, he stated that a significant portion of the 330 million dollars spent on filling Rasmalé has already been expended in Maldivian Rufiyaa.