Addu City Council Seeks Rent From Land Allocated To Google Project

Addu City Council has decided to request rent from land allocated to Google for a submarine cable landing station in Hithadhoo.

The decision follows the Economic Ministry’s announcement last Monday that Google will make a significant investment in the Maldives by establishing a landing station for international submarine cables in Addu.

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During a council meeting held last Wednesday, Hithadhoo Korowau Councillor and Land Committee Chair Ibrahim Shinaz stated that the government had requested 161,000 square feet of land from a reclaimed area in Hithadhoo. The land was initially allocated at the request of the Housing Ministry but was later registered under the Economic Ministry.

He noted that the public only recently became aware that the plot had been designated for Google’s project and highlighted concerns about the land being utilised without a clear direct benefit to local residents.

The Land Committee has since concluded that the land falls under the jurisdiction of Addu City Council and determined that any income generated from it should benefit the people of Addu. Shinaz proposed that the council enter into an agreement to receive rent from the land lease as part of the project’s development.