Parliamentarian Moosa Siraj has introduced a bill proposing significant amendments to the Maldivian Land Act, aiming to modernize the legislation and address present-day land management challenges. The bill has sparked discussion and debate among parliamentarians.
The proposed amendments encompass regulations for classifying land, allocation for various uses, and distribution to ministries and individuals. The bill mandates the president to formulate national and public land policies, taking into account advice and recommendations from Parliament.
Key provisions include the Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development appointing a Registrar of Land, establishing a Land and Survey Authority, and appointing a Surveyor General.
The bill addresses land distribution for ministerial use, freeholding, and leasing, outlining permissible activities like residential, economic, industrial, social, environmental, and governmental purposes. It covers land rights, plot allocation, leasing, mortgage, sale, inheritance transfers, ownership, and rights transfers.
Moosa Siraj highlighted the outdated nature of the existing 2002 Land Act, emphasizing the need for updates to meet current needs. He underscored the inclusion of provisions for land surveys and valuation policies to address fluctuations in land values.
Siraj urged his fellow parliamentarians to support the bill, emphasizing its significance. However, opposition members have expressed concerns about the bill centralizing power and reducing the authority of local councils. They have raised objections to its passage.
