Maldives 20-Year National Development Plan to Be Completed by July
Maldives’ 20-year development plan framework set for completion by July | Photo: MV+
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the implementation framework for the Maldives’ 20-year National Development Plan is expected to be completed by July.
The plan has been developed following extensive public consultation and regional validation, and will fully consider the country’s financial capacity.
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In his Presidential Address, Dr Muizzu highlighted frequent shifts in national direction every five years as a persistent challenge, describing it as a form of weakness that affects long-term development. He stressed that establishing a clear national direction for the next two decades through public consultation, formal approval, and legal backing would be a major step towards ensuring stability, security, and sustained development.
Work on the plan is already under way, and significant progress has been made. To date, 10,088 public views have been collected. In addition, 192 public meetings were held across all inhabited islands, complemented by 96 focus group discussions involving youth, women, business owners, fishermen, and farmers.
A further 67 meetings were conducted with stakeholders, including private companies, business organisations, members of the public, and cooperating political parties, covering 66 thematic areas. The process also included 20 sector-based roundtable discussions and consultations with 40 government and state institutions.
President Dr Muizzu said the core of the 20-year National Development Plan has now been formulated based on these engagements. The next stage will involve regional validation workshops in May to gather further input and reach consensus among stakeholders. A national seminar is scheduled for June to formally determine the country’s long-term development roadmap.
Ideas collected during the validation process will be reviewed to ensure alignment across sectors, preventing policies in one area from placing undue burdens on another. The final version of the plan, including its implementation and monitoring framework, is set to be completed by the end of July. Dr Muizzu added that future governments will retain the authority to implement their own policies within the overall framework of the plan.
