Gov’t to Announce Verified Flat List by Ramadan

The Maldivian government announced today they would post the verified list of flat owners by Ramadan.

In a press conference held by the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure in the President’s Office, Minster Dr Abdul Muthalib assured that this is not a reevaluation of the over 20,000 application forms the citizens had sent for the Gedhoruveriyaa housing scheme. Rather, this was a verification of the current final list of awardees to confirm whether the information they had provided was accurate.

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The 4,000 names to be evaluated include the awardees for 1,250 two-room flats and 2,750 three-room flats. The list of awardees was revised twice before it was opened to public complaints. 

Addressing the citizens of the Maldives during this press conference, Minister Muthalib apologised for the 14-month delay in releasing the verified list of awardees for these flats. Shortly after the flat list was announced on 15 November 2023, the Anti-Corruption Committee ordered all work on the project to be halted until the flat list had been re-evaluated. An independent committee was then set up to investigate whether the flats were awarded fairly.

While answering the media, Minister Muthalib assured the deserving applicants that they would receive the flats. He clarified that the most common issue with applications—over 60 percent of them presenting this issue—was the portal accepting documents that did not qualify or meet the requirements of the document needed. 

“If there is a name [on the list] who very clearly does not deserve it [the flat], their name will be cut,” he said.

However, he said they are not individually verifying the names on the current list. Some of the information presented on the forms, such as the space of the living quarters, the number of bedrooms, and the number of people per bathroom, is time-consuming and difficult to confirm.

Additionally, he said if anyone were found to have obtained their flats or land illegally through corruption, they would be taken back as well. He said that even if the outside wall of the land has been built, if the ministry can prove that they were awarded unjustly, they will recover the land.

Furthermore, he urged the citizens of the Maldives to be wary of scams and frauds running rampant in association with housing schemes. He said some scammers promise guaranteed flats within the system if they pay a certain amount of money, sometimes amounting between MVR 300,000 to MVR 400,000. Minister Muthalib advised Maldivians not to fall for such schemes and said they have no association with the government. Therefore, they would not take responsibility for any losses suffered by such victims. 

Minister Muthalib said work on these flats is progressing smoothly, and if nothing changes, they could be completed by mid-year. The Indian AXIM bank funds 80 percent of the Gedhoruveriyaa housing scheme, and the Maldivian government must cover the remainder of the cost.