According to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, once the new market in Male’ City is built, the issue of foreigners residing in the structures allocated to Maldivians for conducting business would be fixed.
Abdulla Ibrahim Manik asked the President when work on the new market would start as part of the “President’s Answer” series, when the President’s Office started to address public inquiries. Manik expressed worry over the state of the local market.
Moreover, Abdullah’s primary worry was that foreigners were managing the stalls even though Maldivians were supposed to handle them. According to him, he exclusively uses the property that he rents out to foreigners in order to conduct business.
In response to his queries and worries, President Dr. Muizzu stated that Male’ City’s local and tourist markets are both lacking.
He went on to say that the Male’ City Council has all the opportunities to construct the new market with the assistance of the government. He claimed that the local market and the tourist market will be replaced by the new market, which would be located where the current one is.
He added that the new market will have specific accommodations for sales in local markets and a tourist’s market and that it will be housed in a cutting-edge, four-story structure how markets are set up in other nations. He continued by saying that the market would also house the fish market.
In addition, he said, parking accommodations would be constructed in the basements at the ground level of the new market.
“The construction of the market is in the initial stages. The market’s construction will address the issue raised by Abdullah. There will be additional space and it will be extremely clean,” he remarked.
He stated that following the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the local market would be demolished and construction on the new market would start in April.
He said the migrant crisis was a major issue and the government was working with the enforcement agencies to resolve the issue.
“The problem of migrant workers is a grave concern. As previously indicated, structures are allocated to Maldivians. All of the government’s implementing partners will work together to find a solution soon. We will deal with it jointly after the new market is constructed,” he stated.
