President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has amended the administrative boundary of Maafaru in Noonu Atoll, removing the island of Farumuli from its jurisdiction. The change was enacted through a Presidential Decree issued on Sunday, in accordance with powers granted under the Decentralisation Act.
Farumuli, along with Kan’dinmahuraa, had only recently been included within Maafaru’s administrative area under a previous decree dated 15 April 2024. However, the new directive reverses that inclusion for Farumuli, formally excluding it from Maafaru’s governance.
The island has now been designated for tourism development under the Maldives Tourism Act, aligning with broader government policies aimed at expanding economic activity in the atolls. Following the decree, the annex to the official Decree on Establishing Inhabited Islands of the Maldives has also been updated and published in the Government Gazette.
The government has been pursuing a policy of incorporating uninhabited islands near inhabited areas into their jurisdiction to allow local councils to utilise them for revenue-generating activities. These initiatives are presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen the financial sustainability of councils and to further decentralisation goals.
As per the Constitution, the Maldives is governed under a decentralised system, with the President responsible for determining the jurisdiction of local councils. The amendment concerning Maafaru reflects this authority and the government’s ongoing efforts to reshape administrative boundaries in line with development priorities.
