President: Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi will be home to region’s largest seaport

The Maldivian government plans on building the largest seaport in the South East Asian region in K. Gulhifalhu and K. Thilafushi as a solution to the issue of congestion at the Male’ Commercial Harbor, says President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Sh. Kanditheemu Harbor this Monday afternoon, Yameen said people living in the Male’ Commercial Harbor area and business owners were witness to the level of congestion at the Harbor.

He said the stress on the Commercial Harbor will further increase once the Velana International Airport Development Project is complete, and the airport is able to accommodate 7 million passengers per year.

Yameen said the government therefore plans on building the largest seaport in the region in Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

“The Male’ harbor cannot be expanded. So we envision building the largest seaport in the region as soon as the international airport is complete. So this seaport will be an international seaport,” said Yameen.

He said the seaport needs to be one which attracts all commercial ships travelling in the region.

He said the airport will be built on Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

Yameen said the seaport will include not just cargo cranes and equipment to pallet cargo, but that a generation of tech-savvy young men and women need to be developed especially for the seaport.

“So with this development project in Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu, we will develop an IT Park and Maldives will enjoy regional-standard infrastructure for IT,” said Yameen.

He said the project will cut down the cost of internet by 30 percent. He said his administration wants to reduce data traffic for all information transferred via internet by 30 percent.

Yameen said that if he is re-elected for a second term, by the fourth year, people will not ask for road construction or harbor development.

“Some islands will ask me for connecting bridges. Our mentality will reach that level because people will know we are more than capable. And when Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu are linked and major projects are underway, that bridge will need to connect to the Male’ bride, right?” said Yameen.

Addressing the citizens of Kanditheemu, Yameen said no major development projects have taken place on the island over the past five years. He said it was because Kanditheemu was one of the islands neglected due to inadequate representation at the People’s Majlis.

He said his administration has, however, spent MVR 105 million from the State budget on Kanditheemu over the past five years.

Yameen is on a two-day tour of Sh. Atoll.

His first stop was at Sh. Bileffahi were he announced plans to build a domestic airport on the island.