President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the Government is seeking to expand skills training, regulate the labour market and improve employment access as part of its broader approach to worker welfare in the Maldives.
In his address marking International Workers’ Day, the President said the Government’s labour policies were aimed at protecting the rights of both Maldivian and expatriate workers across different sectors. His remarks placed emphasis on vocational education, labour market regulation and efforts to widen access to work for groups facing barriers to employment.
President Muizzu highlighted the establishment of the country’s first vocational high school, describing skills development as an area receiving special attention. He said programmes had been launched to train people in fields considered important for national development, while grants and concessional loans for skills development had also been expanded.
He also referred to the Government’s work with major e-commerce platforms, saying efforts to help Maldivian products reach international markets had begun to show results. The initiative was presented as part of a wider effort to support local enterprise and create economic opportunities.
On expatriate labour, the President said the Government had taken measures to regulate foreign workers in the Maldives. He noted that jobs and trades reserved for Maldivians were being identified and enforced, a policy area that has remained central to wider debates on employment, migration and the structure of the local labour market.
The President also said efforts were being made to create more employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. He added that, in line with his presidential pledge, those who wish to continue working beyond the age of 65 now have the opportunity to do so.
He said the Government had engaged with workers across different levels and sectors, and that longstanding concerns raised by workers were being addressed. The President called on Maldivians to support efforts to expand employment opportunities and encouraged those able to work to take part in the labour force.
In a separate post on X, President Muizzu extended greetings to workers across the country, stating that those working in any field, whether for their families or for national progress, deserved recognition. First Lady Sajidha Mohamed also posted a message expressing respect and gratitude to workers contributing across sectors in the Maldives.
The President’s Workers’ Day message framed labour participation, skills development and productivity as part of the country’s long-term economic resilience, while also linking employment policy to national development and self-reliance.
