Eleven pledges in 30-day action plan unfulfilled

The government boasted Thursday of an 84 percent success rate in achieving targets set for the first 30 working days of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration.

Of the 67 pledges listed for the first month in a 100-day action plan, 56 pledges across 19 sectors have been fulfilled, according to the president’s office.

The unfulfilled 11 pledges include:

• establishing a mechanism for submission of complaints and public opinion
• launching a zero-tolerance campaign against corruption
• designating loading and unloading areas in Malé
• installing security and speed cameras on the Sinamalé bridge
• establishing a bank for small and medium-sized enterprises
• establishing municipal inspectors
• introducing a programme for cleaning and maintaining island roads
• expanding the Fuvahmulah city school road
• reforming the fisheries law
• reforming the decentralisation law
• reforming the land transport law and regulations

The government also failed to publish the personal finances of political appointees and their spouses as pledged during the first week.

“It’s not that we are not working on these things. But a large part, almost 50 percent, of these pledges has already been done,” policy secretary Aminath Shauna told reporters at a press briefing Thursday morning.

Work is ongoing and the administration is satisfied with the progress, she said.

Discussions were ongoing with the Attorney General’s office on pursuing judicial reform with changes to the watchdog. A platform to submit corruption complaints will be launched next week along with the public disclosure of financial statements of political appointees at the president’s office, she added.

Ibrahim Hood, the president’s spokesman, highlighted “significant progress” in strengthening democracy and human rights.

“One notable achievement is the work done to return to constitutional rule and restore democratic rights,” he said, referring to the repeal of the anti-defamation law, a police reform programme and the formation of inquiry commissions to probe unresolved murders and recover stolen assets. 

Key pledges have also been fulfilled in the sectors of education, health, environment and international relations, he noted.

Earlier this week, the higher education ministry announced that student loan interest rates have been dropped from five percent to three percent with a 25 percent extension on the repayment period.

First degrees in Maldivian institutions would also be tuition-free this year.

The health insurance Aasandha scheme has been expanded to provide free therapeutic treatments and easily accessible Thalassaemia treatment across the country.

While a review of the legal framework was ongoing to empower local councils, the new administration has restored powers and responsibilities stripped from city councils.

The government is trying to rejoin the Commonwealth to “make the Maldives an upstanding country accepted by the international community,” Hood said.

On Wednesday, President Solih said the government was “encouraged by the progress” and vowed to “work even harder to ensure that we deliver on our promise of a government that is consultative and that delivers positive economic growth and national development while ensuring the democratic rights of Maldivians.”

There are 161 pledges across 21 ministries for the first 100 days of his administration. Without counting weekends and public holidays, the deadline to fulfil all the pledges is March 27.