Parliament’s next big task: Housing Bill

Speaker of Parliament, former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed says the country’s lawmakers will begin work on the promised Housing Bill during the second session of the current parliamentary assembly.

 The Parliament concluded its first session and went into recess last Thursday, September 5. The second session is scheduled to begin on October 1.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Nasheed said the Parliament had managed to complete a great number of work during the first session. He said that more work was already scheduled for the second session – one of which is evaluating and passing the Housing Bill.

“[Work scheduled for the second session] includes Veshi Fahi Male’, housing, property work. The second session will see the creation of [legislature] related to Veshi Fahi Male’ program, the Housing Act, and [legislature] related to building construction,” said Nasheed.

The promise of affordable housing for all was one of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s key electoral pledges to a nation grappling with a housing crisis.

The pledge was put to keen focus though the legislative agenda, Agenda 19, pushed by ruling MDP during its parliamentary election campaign. MDP’s legislative agenda has been credited to its landslide victory at the elections, and the supermajority the ruling party enjoys in the current parliamentary assembly.

Three separate housing resolutions have already been submitted to the Parliament. The first reading of the three resolutions is already complete, and the preliminary debates are queued to begin once the Parliament re-opens for its second session.

THE THREE HOUSING RESOLUTIONS:

• Resolution on releasing land from residential islands rich in unused land area for people who lack housing, and newlyweds.
• Resolution on award of government flats from Male’ and other islands.
• Resolution on awarding housing to people who relinquished their rights to land in Male’ under the Veshi Fahi Male’ program, and those who bought land from Gulhifalhu.

Speaking at Thursday’s press conference, Nasheed said the Parliament will begin its second session with work on amendments to the Decentralization Act.

He said that it too was a major task the country’s lawmakers faced.

“Regarding the Decentralization Act – one key amendment is establishment of jurisdiction of individual islands. It will allow islands to claim any uninhabited island which falls within the 700 meter off the coast of the island as part of its jurisdiction. And five percent of the projects on the State budget and its income will go to local councils. And the grants awarded to local councils will increase significantly,” said Nasheed.

MDP lawmakers have already presented two resolutions to empower local councils and lay the groundwork for amendments to Decentralization Act.

• Resolution on establishment of the jurisdiction of residential islands and utilization of resources found within the jurisdiction for benefit of local residents.
• Resolution on resolving financial challenges faced by local councils and financially empowering local councils.

Nasheed said the amendments will allow significant autonomy to local councils.

Other tasks queued for the second session includes the establishment of a minimum wage in Maldives – which Nasheed says will be complete by end of this year.

The Speaker has graded the work of lawmakers during the first session with a B+.

“Overall, I consider this session to deserve a B+. But there’s much room for me, the lawmakers, and the secretariat to improve in the next session,” said Nasheed.