Delay in Malé Wet Market Project Due to Council Not Releasing Land, Says Ministry

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has said delays in commencing the Malé Wet Market Complex project are due to the Malé City Council not handing over the allocated land for the development to the ministry.

In a press release, the ministry said it had repeatedly contacted the council since the contract was awarded on March 15, requesting the handover of the land.

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It said financing, administrative procedures, and other preparatory work had already been completed to allow construction to begin, adding that the only factor delaying the project was the failure to transfer the site to the ministry.

“This project, which is scheduled to be fully completed within 600 days, is a highly essential project for the residents of Malé. Every day the work is delayed means an increase in the project’s cost and deprives the citizens of the services they should be receiving. The government’s goal is to start this project as quickly as possible for the benefit and profit of the public,” the ministry said in its statement.

According to the ministry, it first wrote to the Malé City Council on 29 March 2026, requesting the handover of the land. It followed up on 11 April with a request for permission for contractors to access the site, citing that financing for the project had already been secured.

On 12 April, the ministry sent a second letter requesting handover of the land before 18 April, followed by a third letter on 3 May requesting handover before 7 May, and a fourth letter on 18 May requesting completion of the transfer before 31 May.

On 30 April, Malé City Mayor Adam Azim responded, stating that he wished to meet the minister before the handover of the land, according to the ministry’s timeline of correspondence. The ministry did not state whether it had agreed to the requested meeting before the transfer.

This project, valued at MVR 116.99 million, was awarded to TrustEng Maldives to develop a modern wet market complex on the site currently occupied by the Malé local market and is being financed through contract financing. The ministry said repayment would take place over 50 months, with construction scheduled for completion within two years.

The planned development includes a terrace food court, basement parking, and a ground floor fish market. The first, second and third floors will house agricultural produce outlets for fruits and vegetables.

Upon completion, the six-storey building will cover approximately 85,000 square feet. The ministry said all preliminary work on its side had been completed and reiterated that it had engaged the council on multiple occasions to facilitate the start of construction.