President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the Urban Planning and Management Act (Act No. 15/2024) today. Parliament passed the Bill at the thirty-second sitting of its twentieth session this year on 22 August 2024.
The Bill mandates infrastructure planning that sustainably develops and maximises economic and social benefits from land. It also mandates development of laws and regulations that facilitate infrastructure planning in line with decentralisation aims of the Government, as well as other clauses that facilitate infrastructure planning and management.
The national policy on infrastructure planning will be determined by the President, on advisement from the Cabinet. The following agencies are tasked with drafting, passing, and implementing the plans as well as issuing land development permits.
- Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development
- City Council
- Island Council
- Any agencies tasked with developing urban areas
- Any agencies tasked with developing industrial areas
- Any agencies tasked with developing special economic zones
The Bill stipulates that land in the Maldives may only be developed after obtaining permission, in accordance with its provisions and the prescribed terms and conditions. It further states that the development standards outlined in the Bill, as well as the regulations enacted under it, must comply with the criteria set forth in both the Bill and its corresponding regulations.
The Urban Planning and Management Act was published in the Government Gazette upon ratification and will go into effect in six months.