Early Submission Offers No Advantage Under Housing Policies; Minister Urges Complete Documentation

Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Abdulla Muththalib said there is no benefit to submitting applications for housing schemes as early as possible and urged applicants to ensure all required documentation is complete before applying.

Speaking to Public Service Media (PSM) yesterday, the minister explained that the application window for the Residential Land for Malé Residents Policy and the Flat Allocation Policy for Malé Residents has been designed to give applicants sufficient time to gather and submit the necessary documents.

Applications for the schemes opened on Sunday, 18 January. The ministry has set separate deadlines for each component, with applications for residential land plots closing on 4 March 2026, after 45 days, while applications for flats will remain open until 17 April 2026, allowing a three-month period. Applications can be submitted online through the official portal.

“We said on the day we opened the portal, there is no additional benefit to submitting the application sooner. There are no marks you can get because you submitted it early. This is not done on a first-come, first-served basis either,” the minister said.

“Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the application is submitted after ensuring it is completed fully,” he added.

According to the minister, the portal received 877 completed applications in the first two days, including 221 applications for land plots and 416 for flats. He said a further 5,599 applications are currently saved in draft form.

“I am urging [applicants] to keep the forms in the draft stages and ensure they are completed fully before submitting the application. This is what will prevent us from disqualifying applicants due to missed documentation or deducting points or because they do not meet the requirements,” he said.

The minister also urged applicants to apply only if they meet the qualifying criteria, noting that submissions from ineligible applicants place an unnecessary burden on government resources.

“There’s still time: 45 days for land, three months for flats. So, please take your time and submit the application. If submitted within that time, all applications will be subject to the same rules,” he said.

While construction has yet to begin on housing projects announced for the Greater Malé area, the minister said the government aims to commence construction of approximately 12,000 housing units this year.

Separately, speaking to the media on Sunday, Minister Muththalib reiterated that housing projects launched under the current administration would be completed and handed over within the government’s term.