President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom Wednesday expressed confidence that his government would be to keep its electoral pledge of doubling the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita to USD12,000.
Speaking during the annual youth awards ceremony on Wednesday president assured that his government had the necessary energy to ensure economic transformation and insisted that his government would double the GDP per capita from the present USD6,000 to USD12,000 by the end of his term in office in 2018.
"We were hoping to double the income per capita as we cross the threshold into the next phase post 2018. We were expecting that the then per capita income at around USD5,000 would increase. So once we begin to reap the benefits of all the economic investments, we would easily pass the USD12,000 mark," president said.
However, the president was quick to insist that such economic progress needs the support of the people.
Noting the many efforts of the government to develop youth in the country, president said the government would surpass the 94,000 employment opportunities pledged in the electoral manifesto.
President Yameen reiterated that the government remained steadfast in its efforts to ensure a productive and responsible generation of youth in the country.
