Why Do Councils Act Like Separate Governments?

When I read the Ihavandhoo Council’s tender notice in the paper this morning, something didn’t sit right. Here’s a small island office in Haa Alif, going through the whole formal process—emailing procurement, sealing A4 envelopes, setting deadlines—just to get a basic website designed. It feels like watching a family where every sibling has to build their own kitchen from scratch, instead of sharing one. And it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? We have a National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT), a whole government body with IT engineers and developers. Wouldn’t it be simpler, cheaper, and more professional if they designed and maintained a standard platform for all local council websites? Think of the economies of scale—one secure, well-designed template, updated consistently, managed by salaried staff who already work for the state. Instead, each council operates like its own little sultanate, spending what must add up to millions of rufiyaa over the years on individual contracts. That’s money from our taxes, from the state budget, trickling away to various private companies, some experienced, some not. No wonder so many government websites look like they were built in 2010—clunky, inconsistent, hard to navigate. Some don’t even work properly on a phone, in a country where everyone is online. This isn’t just about websites. It’s about a deeper fragmentation in how we govern. From Malé to the furthest atolls, councils are reinventing the wheel, duplicating efforts, and operating in silos. There’s a lack of central coordination, a lack of shared standards. It feels inefficient, and in a small nation with limited resources, inefficiency is a luxury we can’t afford. Imagine if that budget was pooled. If NCIT had a dedicated local governance digital unit. They could ensure accessibility, security, Dhivehi language support, and a unified look that builds public trust. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about building a coherent digital identity for public service in the Maldives. Maybe there are reasons—decentralization, local autonomy, specific council needs. But when you see the same pattern across so many sectors, you start to feel that this isn’t just policy; it’s a mindset. A reluctance to streamline, to centralize where it makes obvious sense. It leaves you hoping that someday, our governance will catch up to the potential of our technology, and our unity as a nation.