The construction of a government office building in Hulhumale' will be completed this year, and government offices will be relocated to the building by January 1 next year, the Planning Ministry has said.
Replying to a question from AVAS, Planning Ministry's State Minister Akram Kamaluddin said work is underway to ensure that the offices are operational and ready for official service on January 1.
"The final work of the building is underway. The current offices [in Male'] will be shifted to the new building within this month, and it is expected to open on January 1," Akram said.
The Planning Ministry had earlier said the building would be completed in November and put into operation this month.
The government faced difficulties housing different agencies after Huravee Building, which housed several offices, was vacated and demolished. These offices are currently run on private premises, with the government paying large amounts in rent. The government decided to build the office building per President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's decision in 2019 to address the high expense incurred due to many government offices renting private premises for indefinite periods.
The Planning Ministry has decided to use the ground and first floor of the office building as a parking area. The second floor will house the Gender Ministry, while the third floor will be reserved for the Transport Ministry. The fourth floor will house the new US Embassy in the Maldives, while the fifth floor will house the office of the Higher Education Ministry. Some small meeting rooms, a seminar room, and a terrace are on the top floor.
